Page 21 - West Virginia

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
is not going to fix anything.
While there will be consternation galore with failed tests, locator certification is first and foremost a visible and transparent effort to learn what people know in order to teach them what they don’t. This is how the damage prevention industry achieves a greater degree of locating excellence.
A Type of Currency
The three pillars of a certified locator program—certification testing, continuing education, and establishing a knowledge bank—create a career path in locating, thus making certified locators a type of currency.
Currency has a value that is the same for both sellers and buyers. In a locating industry with locator certification,
value consists of competent locators delivering excellent locating results
for the utility, engineering, and construction industries.
Currency is defined as:
1. something used as a medium of exchange
2. general acceptance; prevalence; vogue
A recent industry report focused on the nation’s 811 system claims there is $61 billion in “waste, inefficiency, and excess cost embedded in the system and largely invisible.” That’s a lot of opportunity to spend certified locator currency in the system that produces most every locator.
The Answer is “Yes”
Late response to 811 tickets is some of the excess cost embedded in the 811 system. Could the currency of certified locators be spent to address late 811 tickets? For that matter, could the currency of certified locators be spent to improve the results of subsurface utility engineering or utility design? Or to increase production and enhance safety for construction crews?
The answer to all these questions is
a resounding “yes.” Can you imagine what a collection of disrespected locators would feel if they could finally wear a badge proving their knowledge and skills? What, too, if the utility, engineering, and construction industries recognized locating as a skill worthy of
its actual importance? Without locator certification that’s not going to happen.
Who will lead the push to use the currency of certified locators? 811? Private locating? Survey/engineering locating? Construction crew locating? Where will the currency be adopted to change existing practices and systems?
We won’t have to wait too long for answers and that’s a great thing for people who want to clearly see a career path in the locating industry.
Ignore No More
I used to wonder why there was no locator certification program. As I talked to all those locators over the years, many asked the same question of me. My answer was always that until there was locator certification, locator certification would be easy to ignore.
Well, the certified locator program is here, and that’s good for the locating industry as well as a whole lot of other people in the utility, engineering,
and construction industries. Locator certification recognizes locating as a skill as well as a respected trade. That’s hard to ignore.
2024, Issue 1 West Virginia 811 • 19