It will cost you money to have a trained equipment operator walking around trying to decide where you should begin digging instead of simply operating the heavy equipment. The No. 1 reason for failure of buried lines of whatever sort is inadvertent cuts, so utility companies are understandably nervous whenever anyone digs near their lines. Many states have enacted laws requiring you to call your local notification center before digging. You can find the phone numbers for your state's center in the first few pages of your phone book. Most often, it isn't their lives that are in jeopardy, but those of backhoe operators, laborers in a trench, bore-rig operators or passersby.
Many people get more training programming their VCRs than technicians do using a locating device.
Utility companies and their locating firms must be committed to providing locators with the best possible training, not just what is available, convenient or cost-effective. It looks like lost time and money on paper, but the rewards in safety, liability, reduced service outages and reputation will pay back tenfold. Be prepared with a written, outlined, structured program. Success is proportional to the amount of time trainees spend with an experienced, knowledgeable trainer. The art of locating is achieved only through understanding and application of the sciences that govern it.