IDENTIFILL

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IDENTIFILL

• - OUR MISSION STATEMENT -
• IDENTIFILL will introduce to the Nation a
  revolutionary marking system for underground
  utilities that will significantly reduce
  excavation damage and promote an increase in
  safety for the workforce.

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What is Identifill?

• IDENTIFILL is a non toxic colored bedding
  material developed to surround underground
  utility lines for the purpose of early
  identification.

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Why do we need to improve our current system of
early identification?

• Although tracer wire and marking ribbon have
  proven effective, there is still a tremendous
  outcry in the pipeline industry to improve the
  current system of protecting our underground
  utilities from outside force damage.

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Common Ground Study 1999 Sponsored by the
United States Department of Transportation-

• Todays best practice often originated as
  yesterdays educated guess or considered attempt
  to further enhance damage prevention results.
  Similarly, further advances and research for
  tomorrows best practices should be continually
  encouraged. Damage prevention is not a stagnant
  field, and it is important to maintain an
  environment that allows for and promotes the
  search for even better practices. .
  Emerging Technologies, will hopefully lead to
  improved methods for denoting, locating,
  identifying, and marking underground facilities,
  which should lead to even greater reductions in
  underground facility damage .We will use
  our imaginations and venture outside of our
  current realms to develop ideas for potential,
  new technologies that will assist in a global
  plan to construct and maintain uninterrupted
  underground facility services with absolute
  safety in our working environment.

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Office of Pipeline Safety

• OPS, in a partnership with the pipeline
  industry, public interest groups, and other
  government agencies, has focused its crosscutting
  research on the critical issues in pipeline
  safety, issues that can be addressed through
  technology innovation. Clearly, the biggest
  challenge has been the prevention of damage from
  people digging around pipelines. Despite the
  progress that has been made from one-call systems
  and the leadership of the Common Ground Alliance,
  OPS strives to find other ways of protecting
  pipelines from outside force damage.
• Source OPS RD Strategic Plan, August 2004
• http//primis.p
  hmsa.dot.gov/rd/strategicplan.htm

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Before the United States Senate

• The majority of deaths and injuries from
  pipelines occur from incidents on the
  distribution pipeline systems that bring gas to
  our towns, businesses, and homes. From the period
  2001 through 2005 sixty-one people died along
  these pipelines, and two hundred and thirty seven
  were injured. PHMSA, states, industry, and
  private organizations have undertaken an
  aggressive work plan to come up with an integrity
  management program for distribution pipelines.
• -Carl Weimer, Pipeline Safety Trust
  Testifying before the United
  States Senate
• November 2006

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The need for an improved system of marking
underground utility lines is identified in
virtually every article or publication that we
could find on the subject

• If an underground utility is damaged, the utility
  operator is in the best position to determine the
  hazards associated with the damage and implement
  appropriate countermeasures - OSHA
  Bulletin March 5, 2005
• Statistics show that the majority of pipeline
  damage is caused by third parties (construction
  contractors, property owners, excavators, etc.)
  digging near buried pipelines.
• - Questar Gas
• Recent serious incidents especially reinforce
  the importance of accurately locating and marking
  pipelines and highlight an urgent need for
  pipeline operators to review how they implement
  their damage prevention programs to prevent
  further accidents caused by construction related
  damage.
• - PHMSA Advisory Bulletin November 17, 2006
  

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PHMSA - Damage to underground pipelines during
excavation has historically been a leading cause
of Serious Incidents, which include fatalities
and injuries.
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Gas Distribution Lines make up the majority of
serious incidents in All Pipeline Systems.
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Significant incidents include conditions where
serious injuries, fatalities, or costs exceeding
50,000.00 occur.

• 
  -
  http//primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/reports/safety/si
  gPSI.html -

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What is the root cause for damage done to
underground utility lines?

• According to the 2006 damage report put out by
  the Common Ground Alliance, 38 of all known
  damage incidents came from insufficient
  Excavation Practices. Another 38 of known
  damages came from Failure to Notify marking
  companies, and 18 of known damages came from
  insufficient locating practices.

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Let me interpret these findings into excavation
contractor language.

• 38 of all known damage incidents came from
  insufficient Excavation Practices We
  accidentally broke your gas line while we were
  searching for it.
• Another 38 of known damages came from Failure
  to Notify marking companies We did not think
  there were any gas lines in the area.
• 18 of known damages came from insufficient
  locating practices. The markings were more
  than 2 feet off the actual utility line, so it is
  really not our fault.

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How Will IDENTIFILL Help?
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38 of all known damage came from insufficient
Excavation Practices.

• The majority of gas lines damaged occur while
  searching for them under the watchful eye of a
  spotter.
• IDENTIFILL makes it easy for anyone to detect
  utility location early on.

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38 of known damages came from Failure to Notify
marking companies

• Many excavators come within inches of utility
  lines before they end up breaking them.
• IDENTIFILLs obvious industry colors increase the
  possibility of detecting utility presence.

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18 of known damages came from insufficient
locating practices.

• With the added security of IDENTIFILL
  surrounding the utility, it increases the chance
  that contractors will safely locate the unmarked
  line.

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So, whats the process?

• The process is hardly any change at all to the
  current practice.
• We excavate the trench.
• We install the pipe, tracer wire, marking ribbon,
  etc.
• We replace the standard bedding with bedding
  colored to the industry standard for that type of
  utility.

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We see the benefit when searching for the utility
line.
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The Benefits of IDENTIFILL!

• Easy to spot while searching for utilities.
• Increases possibility of seeing the colored sand
  before hitting the utility when digging unaware
  with excavator, trencher, or auger.
• Safe for the Environment.
• Can easily be an added product to any existing
  pit, batch plant, or mobile batch truck.
• Inexpensive, compared to the benefits of Safety,
  property damage, and potential insurance
  benefits.