Section 319.037 - Excavation sites included in requirements - equipment prohibited at such sites1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the procedures and requirements set forth in this section shall apply on the site of any excavation involving trenchless excavation, including directional drilling, where the approximate location of underground facilities has been marked in compliance with section 319.030 and where any part of the walls of the intended bore are within the marked approximate location of the underground facility.2. The excavator shall not use power-driven equipment for trenchless excavation, including directional drilling, within the marked approximate location of such underground facilities until the excavator has made careful and prudent efforts to confirm the horizontal and vertical location thereof in the vicinity of the proposed excavation through methods appropriate to the geologic and weather conditions, and the nature of the facility, such as the use of electronic locating devices, hand digging, pot holing when practical, soft digging, vacuum methods, use of pressurized air or water, pneumatic hand tools or other noninvasive methods as such methods are developed. Such methods of confirming location shall not violate established safety practices. Nothing in this subsection shall authorize any person other than the owner or operator of a facility to attach an electronic locating device to any underground facility. For excavations paralleling the underground facility, such efforts to confirm the location of the facility shall be made at careful and prudent intervals. The excavator shall also make careful and prudent efforts by such means as are appropriate to the geologic and weather conditions and the nature of the facility, to confirm the horizontal and vertical location of the boring device during boring operations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the excavator shall not be required to confirm the horizontal or vertical location of the underground facilities if the excavator, using the methods described in this section, excavates a hole over the underground facilities to a depth two feet or more below the planned boring path and then carefully and prudently monitors the horizontal and vertical location of the boring device in a manner calculated to enable the device to be visually observed by the excavator as it crosses the entire width of the marked approximate location of the underground facilities.L. 2001 H.B. 425, A.L. 2008H.B. 1779
Effective 1/1/2009