N.J. Admin. Code § 14:2-5.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 14:2-5.2 - Specifications for marks used in markouts

(a) An operator shall perform all markouts using paint. In addition, if the markout must be made on a non-firm surface including, but not limited to, grass, dirt, gravel, or sand, or if weather or site conditions may make paint difficult to use or see, the operator shall utilize paint, and, in addition, shall utilize stakes and/or flags. If used, the location of any stakes or flags shall conform to the diagrams at chapter Appendix A, incorporated herein by reference.

(b) The operator shall ensure that all paint used for markouts has sufficient lasting properties so as to withstand vehicular traffic during the course of the excavation or demolition, but shall be sufficiently removable or degradable with time so as not to be permanent.

(c) If necessary to avoid placing paint on decorative gravel, stone, or pavers, an operator may elect to substitute eight-inch whiskers, as defined at N.J.A.C. 14:2-1.2, for one or more paint marks. The whiskers shall be the appropriate color, shall be laid flat on the ground in the position that would be covered by a paint mark, and fastened to the ground with a nail or other appropriate fastener. The required letter designation code and other numbers and letters may be placed on a flag. An operator shall not use whiskers as a substitute for a stake or flag.

(d) All references in this subchapter to paint shall be construed to include any marking material that makes an equivalent mark and meets all other applicable requirements of this chapter.

(e) An operator shall perform all markouts in a manner that will clearly indicate the location and direction of each underground facility.

(f) An operator shall place all marks used to indicate a particular facility at intervals of 25 feet or less. However, the operator shall place marks closer together than 25 feet, if necessary, to clearly indicate the location and direction of the underground facility. For example, site conditions or directional changes of the underground facility may necessitate a shorter distance between marks in order to clearly indicate the location and direction of an underground facility.

(g) All paint marks used in markouts shall be one to two inches wide and eight to 10 inches long, unless otherwise specified in this chapter. All letters and numbers used in painted markouts shall be six to eight inches high, unless otherwise expressly specified in this chapter.

(h) An operator shall arrange all marks, except for the arrowhead marks in an offset markout, in a line following or paralleling the course of the underground facility. The arrowhead marks used in an offset markout shall be perpendicular to the course of the underground facility.

(i) All markouts shall conform to the diagrams set forth in chapter Appendix A.

(j) Markouts shall indicate the type of underground facility, using the following colors and letter designation codes in Table A below:

Table A
Colors and Letter Designation Codes for Markouts
Facility	Letter Designation
or Product	Code	Color
Water Systems	W	Safety Precaution Blue
Slurry Systems	SP	Safety Precaution Blue
Sewer Lines	S	Safety Green
Telephone and	T	Safety Alert Orange
Telecommunications
Fiber Optic Cable	FOC	Safety Alert Orange
Cable Television	TV	Safety Alert Orange
Police and Fire	FA	Safety Alert Orange
Communications
Electric Power	E	Safety Red
Distribution and
Transmission
Traffic Control	TC	Safety Alert Orange
(communications)
Traffic Control (power)	TC	Safety Red
Gas Distribution and	G	High Visibility
Transmission	Safety Yellow
Petroleum products, Oil	PP	High Visibility
Distribution and	Safety Yellow
Transmission
Steam	ST	High Visibility
Safety Yellow
Hazardous	CH	High Visibility
liquids/Chemicals	Safety Yellow
Excavation or demolition	-	White
boundaries

(k) Markouts shall include the type of outer infrastructure material, where known or reasonably estimated, using the following letter designation codes at Table B below. Composition codes are to appear once per linear markout or every time there is a change in diameter or composition. These letter designation codes will be used in addition to the letter codes at Table A above.

Table B

Infrastructure Material

ABS	Acrylonitrile - Butadiene - Styrene
ACP	Asbestos Cement Pipe
CI	Cast Iron
CMC	Cement Mortar Coated
CML	Cement Mortar Lined
CMP	Corrugated Metal Pipe
CPP	Corrugated Plastic Pipe
CU	Copper
CWD	Creosote Wood Duct
HDPE	High Density Polyethylene
MTD	Multiple Tile Duct
PLA	Plastic (conduit or pipe)
RCB	Reinforced Concrete Box
RCP	Reinforced Concrete Pipe
RF	Reinforced Fiberglass
SCCP	Steel Cylinder Concrete Pipe
STL	Steel
VCP	Virtrified Clay Pipe

(l) The operator shall ensure that all colors used in markouts meet the standards in Standard Z535.1-2017 of the American National Standards Institute, Inc., which is incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented, and is available at http://www.nema.org/Standards/Pages/American-National-Standard-for-Safety-Colors.aspx.

(m) The operator shall ensure that all flags used in markouts shall be:

1. Made of plastic or other equally durable and weatherproof material;

2. Rectangular, four inches by five inches in nominal size;

3. Attached to a staff that is a minimum of 24 inches long;

4. Not less than 18 inches of the staff of the flag shall be exposed above the surface of the ground;

5. Placed at the top of the staff;

6. Marked with a letter designation code indicating the type of underground facility in accordance with Table A in (j) above. The letters shall be at least one inch high;

7. Marked with the operator's initials or logo in black letters or symbols at least one inch high; and

8. Marked with the operator's telephone number, the telephone number of the New Jersey One-Call Damage Prevention System operator (811 in New Jersey, or out-of-State, 1800-272-1000), in letters at least one inch high, and the current web address (URL) of the One-Call Damage Prevention System operator, that may be encoded in a QR code.

(n) The operator shall ensure that all stakes used in markouts shall be:

1. Two inches by two inches by 24 inches in nominal dimension;

2. Colored in accordance with the color coding requirements of this section. The color shall cover the top six inches of the stake;

3. Marked with a letter designation code indicating the type of underground facility in accordance with Table A in (j) above. The letters shall be at least one inch high;

4. Marked with the underground facility operator's initials or logo in black letters or symbols at least one inch high; and

5. Not less than 18 inches of the stake shall be exposed above the surface of the ground.

(o) Stake markouts and plastic flag markouts shall conform to the diagrams in chapter Appendix A, Figures 1 and 6.

(p) Markouts of utility junctions, crossings, changes of direction, dead ends, and other configurations shown in chapter Appendix A, Figure 6, shall comply with the diagrams in Figure 6.

N.J. Admin. Code § 14:2-5.2

Recodified in part from N.J.A.C. 14:2-5.3 and amended by R.2007 d.298, effective 10/15/2007.
See: 39 N.J.R. 1232(a), 39 N.J.R. 4422(b).
Section was "Color and letter codes for markouts". Added new (a) through (i); recodified former (a) and (b) as (j) and (k); rewrote (j) and (k); and inserted ( l) through ( o). Former N.J.A.C. 14:2-5.2, Locations of markouts, repealed.

Amended by 54 N.J.R. 1417(a), effective 7/18/2022

Administrative Change, 54 N.J.R. 1978(b), effective 9/16/2022