Designers’ and Contractors’ Duties

This chapter discusses basic duties, as well as desirable and undesirable actions, of designers, professional excavators, and nonprofessionals (homeowners) during planning and design phases. The processes by which contractors, including general contractors and subcontractors, make the majority of the construction phase requests to one-call centers are explored, along with the high proportion of damages to underground utilities resulting from construction activities. Examples are given to illustrate the importance of requesting the most specific information available about the location of the work to be done, as well as the actual type of work and its projected duration. The four nationally recognized steps in the safe excavation process are described: calling before digging, waiting the required time, respecting the marks, and digging with care.