When I first entered this industry, I wasn’t standing in front of classrooms or speaking at conferences. I was in the field, literally. I worked as a farmer, then as a utility locator, and later as a utility operator. My days were spent digging, responding to locate requests, reading prints, marking underground facilities, and watching excavators begin their work. Every ticket represented more than paint on the ground... it represented trust. Trust that everyone involved was doing their part to protect lives, infrastructure, and the communities we serve.
Like many in this industry, I learned my greatest lessons in the field. Some days everything went according to plan. I LOVE IT... when a plan comes together! Other days reminded me that underground damage prevention is incredibly complex. Weather changes, projects evolve, communications break down, documentation gets overlooked, and assumptions are made. Every close call and every damaged facility reinforced the same lesson:
Our systems must continue to improve.
That belief has followed me throughout my career. Today, as the Damage Prevention Coordinator for Louisiana 811, I still believe our greatest responsibility is not simply teaching people how to comply with the law. Our responsibility is to help every stakeholder build a better system than they had yesterday.
The underground infrastructure we protect continues to grow. Technologies continue to evolve. Construction methods continue to change. Broadband expansion, utility replacement, municipal improvements, and private development have created more excavation activities than ever before. If the environment around us is changing, then damage prevention must change with it. Standing still is not an option.
Recently, Louisiana enacted important amendments to its Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Rather than discussing every detail or offering interpretations, which ultimately belong to each stakeholder and their respective organizations, I believe it is more important to recognize what these changes represent.
The recently enacted legislation includes changes involving:
Positive Response requirements
Expanded membership requirements
Expanded enforcement authority
B.E.A.D. project requirements
Large Project Ticket requirements
Advance coordination requirements
Written coordination agreements
Updated damage notification procedures
Each organization will review these changes through the lens of its own responsibilities. Excavators, utility operators, locators, engineers, legislators, enforcement personnel, municipalities, contractors, and facility owners all have different roles within the damage prevention process.
That diversity of responsibility is exactly what makes our industry successful. No single group prevents damages alone. I used to think otherwise. Another story for another day. LOL!
Every successful excavation depends upon communication between people who often have very different responsibilities but ultimately share the same objective. Protect people. Protect infrastructure. Protect communities.
The law provides the framework, but people determine whether that framework succeeds. One statement has remained with me throughout my career: Every major improvement in underground safety began because someone was willing to question whether the current process was good enough. That idea has shaped the way I approach education.
For years, Louisiana 811 has invested heavily in free training opportunities because we recognize that education is one of the few resources that benefit every stakeholder equally. Whether someone has worked in this industry for thirty years or thirty days, there is always something new to learn. Learning should never stop because the underground world certainly doesn’t.
That philosophy is exactly why Louisiana 811 continues to expand our “Get the Scoop” webinar series. These webinars are designed to provide practical education on topics that professionals encounter every day. Throughout the year, participants have opportunities to learn about:
Louisiana 811 Excavator Training
ITICnxt Ticket Creation Basics
Ticket Talk
Update Tickets
Pre-Design Tickets
Positive Response
Damage Reporting
Emergency Excavation
And many other subjects that directly support safe excavation and effective communication
Every webinar represents another opportunity to strengthen the damage prevention process before a shovel ever enters the ground.
Some may view education as compliance. I view education as prevention. Being proactive vs reactive. Every question answered before excavation begins is one less misunderstanding in the field. Every clarification eliminates uncertainty. Every improved process reduces unnecessary risk. Every trained employee strengthens the organization they represent. Every organization that shares knowledge strengthens the industry as a whole.
When I travel across Louisiana conducting training sessions, I meet professionals from every corner of our industry. Some represent small municipalities. Others manage large utility systems. Some are new excavators eager to learn. Others have decades of experience.
One observation continues to stand out. The organizations experiencing the greatest success are rarely the ones with the most resources. They are the ones willing to improve and ask questions. They evaluate utility damages honestly. They examine near misses. They update procedures. Let me say this again. They update procedures... They encourage communication and invest in training. Most importantly, they understand that damage prevention is not a destination. It is a continuous process.
I often remind people during presentations that every damage tells a story. Some stories reveal communication failures. Others expose planning issues. Some uncover documentation problems. Others remind us that assumptions can be dangerous. I was told a phrase to remember about assumptions...that I won’t mention here! HA!
If we are willing to learn from those stories instead of simply assigning blame, the entire industry becomes stronger. That is how progress occurs.
As professionals, we sometimes become comfortable with familiar routines. We perform tasks the same way because that is how we have always done them. Experience is valuable, but experience alone should never prevent improvement.
One of the healthiest questions any organization can ask is simple, “Is there a better way?” That question has led to better technology, better communication, better mapping, better locating practices, better excavation practices, better legislation, and better education. Ultimately, better protection for the public.
As I reflect on my own journey...from working in the field as a utility operator and locator to now standing before classrooms, conferences, and industry meetings... I realize the mission has never truly changed. The tools and technology have changed, and the laws and expectations have changed. However, the mission remains the same. We are here to protect people. PERIOD!
As we move forward under the recently enacted amendments, I encourage every stakeholder to look beyond compliance and ask a different question. How can my organization improve the system? Whether you are an excavator, utility operator, locator, engineer, legislator, regulator, contractor, municipal employee, or another stakeholder in the damage prevention community, you can influence safety in ways that extend far beyond your own responsibilities.
No single improvement is too small. One better conversation, one improved procedure, one additional training session, one updated process, or one new idea. Collectively, those improvements become safer communities - fewer damages and lives protected.
The future of damage prevention will not be defined solely by legislation or technology. It will be defined by people who refuse to believe that today’s process is as good as it can ever become.
I began my career in the field learning from experienced professionals who understood the importance of doing the job the right way for the right reasons. Today, I have the privilege of sharing those lessons with others through education and outreach. That journey has reinforced one belief above all else:
Change is not something to fear. Change is how we become better.
When we embrace continuous improvement together, we don’t simply comply with the law; we build a safer Louisiana.
And that’s a responsibility every one of us shares.