Before You Dig
Pre-Excavation
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Submit a locate request by calling 811 or submiting you request through the portal.
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Work sites that are difficult to describe should be pre-marked.
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Wait 3 business days before excavating.
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Check Positive Response to verify all operators have responded with a closed code.
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Provide a copy of the locate notice and Positive Response to field crew.
SC811 Portal
The portal is the one stop shop for all aspects of your locate notice.
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Levels: The portal offers different levels for your needs within the system. Level
2 (Basic) allow you to enter normal and update notices. You will receive a notice
number on the same business day if you submit your notice by 5pm. Level 3 requires
you to map your notice and when you submit your notice, you will get a ticket
number immediately. Level 4 will be released in 2017. This level will have all the
functionality of entering various notice types like a remote user.
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Positive Response: Instead of having to wait on hold to check positive response, you
can log into the portal and easily check the status of your locate.
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Filtering Your Notices: The portal allows you to find/view notices that you have
entered or find/view all of the notices that your company has processed.
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Reports: The reports show excavators an overall view of their positive response
participation. It also includes lists of notices that are awaiting responses from
members, notices that need to be checked for positive response by the excavator, and
active notices that are waiting to be closed.
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Linking Accounts: The portal allows you to link accounts within a company. This
allows one person to submit a locate, another person to check positive response and
another to close out the notice. There is no need to share accounts and passwords.
Mobile App
SC811 offers a free Android and iOS app. The app is a rapid resource for information and systems you need most in the field. Some of the features include locate
notice entry, checking and updating positive response, using the damage reporting
tool, member lists, South Carolina law, and a number of other beneficial resources.
Visit the Google Playstore or iTunes to download these apps. You can also scan the
QR codes below to download the app directly.
Positive Response
What is 360 Positive Response?
• 360 Positive Response is an automated information system that allows excavators,
locators, operators, and other interested parties to determine the status of a locate
request until excavation is complete.
Why do I need to check Positive Response?
• It is required by law.
• It shows exactly who has marked the facilities.
• If a facility hasn’t been located, it shows the reason why (i.e. the locator can’t access
the property, etc.)
When must I check Positive Response?
• Before excavation begins. Verify that the marks on the ground match the Positive
Response codes.
What if a utility doesn’t respond in Positive Response?
• You must not begin excavation or demolition until an additional call is made to
SC811 naming the facility and an arrangement is made for the facility to be marked
by the operator within three hours from the time the additional call made.
What do the codes mean?
• See below for a list of open codes and closed codes. An open code indicates
that the member has not yet completed the locate. A closed code indicates that
the member has completed the locate. Once all members have completed their
locates, the excavator can begin working.
What do I do when I finish my excavation work?
• Close out your locate noitce in positive response.
• Note: Once you have closed out your notice, you are no longer allowed to dig at
the excavation site. If you need to continue working at that site, you must submit a
new locate request.
OPEN CODES
CLOSED CODES
30 - Locate not complete - Unable to contact excavator
31 - Insufficient information - Please call SC811 and
provide additional or correct information
40 - Locate not complete - Could not gain access
to property
50 - Critical facility not marked. The utility owner
or their designated representative have contact
ed the excavator and have agreed to a period
that an owner representative must be present
during excavation to identify the unmarked
facility and/or monitor the excavation
60 - Locator and Excavator have agreed and docu
mented marking schedule
90 - Subaqueous Facilities. 10 days to locate or
communication required
110 - Extraordinary Circumstances. Communica
tion Required
122 - Design request ‐ meeting required
999 - Member has not responded by the required
time
10 - No Conflict
11 - Member operator not in area of excavation
20 - Marked
55 - Critical facility marked. The utility owner or
their designated representative have contact
ed the excavator and have agreed to a period
that an owner representative must be present
during excavation to identify the marked facili
ty and/or monitor the excavation.
80 - Facility Owner’s Master Contractor is responsi
ble for locating facilities.
100 - Homeland Security Issue. Request
Denied. Facility Owner shall contact excavator
120 - Design request ‐ marked
121 - Design request ‐ facility printed provided
123 - Design request ‐ Homeland Security Issue. Re
quest denied. Facility Owner shall contact
excavator
Beginning your Excavation Project
How do I protect the marks?
• Consider placing off-set marks if your excavation work may harm the
locate marks.
• Inform your crew about any off-set marks or any other information
about the location of the facilities.
• Keep the area of the marks clean; Do not place spoil piles or building
materials on the locate marks.
• Avoid driving over the marks, especially with heavy machinery that may
compromise the markings.
• If the marks are no longer visible, call 811 for a re-mark.
Can I dig in the Tolerance Zone?
• You are allowed to hand dig, pot hole, soft dig, vacuum excavate or similar
in the tolerance zone. Be sure to use caution even with hand tools.
• Mechanized Equipment is not allowable in the tolerance zone, until:
οο You have visually identified the precise location of the facility or visually confirmed that no facility is up to the depth of excavation.
οο You have taken reasonable precautions to avoid any weaking to the
structure of the facility.
• Mechanized equipment may be used in the initial penetration and removal
of the pavement.
• For parallel excavation in the tolerance zone, the facility must be identified
at least every 50 feet.
What if I expose an unmarked facility?
• Treat all facilities like they are live.
• Follow your normal protocol for excavation.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I’m a sub-contractor, do I have to get my own ticket, or can I work under the
general contractor’s locate ticket?
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SC811 recommends that all excavators request their own locate notices.
What do I do if I damage an underground facility while excavating?
Notify SC811 (call 811 or submit your damage record online at sc811.com/
damage) and contact the facility owner to inspect and repair - no matter how small
the damage. If the damage creates danger for employees or the public, call 911 and
evacuate the area immediately.
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Who is liable if excavation is started after the required wait time expires, but
before all locates were completed and a damage occurs?
SC811 cannot advise on liability issues and recommends that excavators obtain
legal advice from their own attorneys.
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Entering a locate request in the SC811 Portal.
Excavation Date Activities
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What is the definition of excavation?
Excavation is an operation for the purpose of movement or removal of earth,
rock, or other materials in or on the ground by use of mechanized equipment
or by discharge of explosives and including augering, backfilling, digging,
ditching, drilling, well drilling, grading, plowing-in, pulling-in, ripping,
scraping, trenching, and tunneling.
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Verify you are working under a current locate notice. A valid notice is less
than 15 business days old. If expired, request a new notice and wait 3 full
business days before digging.
Check Positive Response to verify that all operators have responded with
a closed code before you begin excavating.
Even when locate marks are present at your work site, you are required to
check Positive Response. Every job. Every locate notice.
Did any utilities not respond? If so, contact utility or 811.
Are marks visible for utilities listed as “Marked”? If not, request a new
ticket.
Before digging, walk through the site, note the marks and document with
photos if possible.
Observe Tolerance Zone (24 inches from the outer edge of eitherside of
exterior of marked utility).
Use increased caution to protect utilities (hand digging, vacuum
excavation, etc.)
Never assume facility depth.
Use an observer when using mechanized equipment in the tolerance zone.
The color of the pipe does NOT tell you the kind of utility. Check the
paint and flag colors.
Update your notice by the end of the 12th working day if work will not
commence by the end of the 15th working day. Updating your notice will
extend the life of the ticket for an additional 15 working days.
After work is completed, close out your locate notice in Positive Response.
Additional Training Information
To access training videos or to schedule a free on-site training for your crew,
visit SC811 Academy at www.sc811.com/academy
2017