Page 9 - West Virgina 811 Magazine 2021 Issue 3

damaging other underground facilities that may be in the area since excavation activity during emergency conditions normally begins before adequate time has been allowed for locating and marking of other facilities.
Should a person involved in excavation or demolition work fail to comply with the provisions of the state law and this failure results in damages to facilities owned/operated by members of MUWV, that person shall be held liable for
the total cost to repair the damage
as computed by the underground facility owner/operator in accordance with Chapter 24-C. If any excavation
or demolition causes damage to any other person or property, the liability
of the person causing damage shall be determined by common law. Any person who fails to notify the One Call System prior to performing any excavation
or demolition, or fails to follow the provisions for reporting damages, or who fails to fulfill any other duties and responsibilities of an excavator, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $5,000.00.
Section 5
Responsibilities of the One Call System (Miss Utility of West Virginia, Inc.)
Excavators can fax, email or use software to input their locate requests using approved means available through MUWV.
In rare instances, MUWV may not have a record of an underground facility
in the area of the intended work and therefore will not give the name of the owner/operator for this notification. This occurs due to new installations or changes and the data is in the process of being placed in the computer data bank. Should this happen and the caller is certain that a member has a facility in the area of the intended
work, the caller may have the One Call System operator manually notify that member of this request.
Notification of excavation or demolition activities may be made to MUWV by any means that provide at least 48 hours and not more than ten days’ notice, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. While making a phone call to the One Call System
is the most common method, other
communication means may be used. Excavators can fax, email or use software to input their locate requests using approved means available through MUWV. The use of fax,
email or software is limited to routine requests and cannot be used for short notices, emergencies or dig-ups.
Using MUWV to notify underground utility owner/operator members of intended excavation or demolition work or emergencies is free of charge. All notifications of MUWV are made using toll-free phone numbers and there is no charge for either making the call or for the members to locate their facilities. The cost of this service is borne by the members of MUWV and is provided
at no cost to anyone notifying the One Call System of intended excavating or demolition work activity.
MUWV can also provide a free safety program on the One Call System. The program is approximately 30 minutes
in duration and is suitable for anyone engaged in excavation activities. Interested persons can call 304-345-3959 for more information or to arrange for the program.
Section 6
Guidelines For Preparing to Call Miss Utility of West Virginia, Inc.
The Miss Utility of West Virginia, Inc. call center is open 24 hrs. a day, 365 days a year and all calls to MUWV are tape recorded. The MUWV telephone answering attendants are trained to obtain specific information concerning locate requests. The answering attendants enter Information into a computer terminal, therefore the order of questions are preset. There is a specific reason for each question asked which are explained in this section.
Locate request processing is simple
if the caller is prepared to answer all questions with information that is
as detailed and precise as possible. This limits unnecessary call backs from MUWV members. Preparation is the key for your call to go as quickly and efficiently as possible. The best way to prepare to make a call to MUWV is to complete a copy of the work information sheet as shown on the inside of the back cover of this pamphlet.
1. Caller’s Name. The caller’s first and last names are taken in order
to maintain a record of all locate requests. This information is also helpful in the event it is necessary for a facility owner/operator to contact someone for additional information.
2. Telephone Number. The telephone number (including area code) of the caller is taken in case additional information is required at a later time by MUWV members. This number
is also used to activate computer databases, which can fill in the answers to questions 3, 4, 5, 6 & 18, which saves the caller additional time. The attendant will read back this information for verification.
3. Fax Number. If applicable, provide this information.
4. Not Involved Response. MUWV members must notify callers if they have no facilities at the work site. The caller will be asked If they would like this response or not. If they do, they will be asked how they wish to receive it, which can be to phone, fax or email.
5. Business Mailing Address. The mailing address of the caller’s company address and not to be confused with the excavation site address. This is recorded in order to maintain the computer database and a mailing list which may be utilized to notify excavators of information pertaining to MUWV on a periodic basis. This information will not be used for any other reason.
6. Work Date and Time. It is very important not to begin your excavation or demolition work prior to the stated date and time. Notices of not less than 48 business hours nor more than 10 business days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, state & federal holidays are required by Chapter 24-C. *Answers
to questions 7 through 13 should be as detailed as possible. This information is used to determine which members will be notified for your work site.
7. County and Town/Community.
The county and town/community (or nearest town in the county) where the work is to be performed.
8. In or Out of the Town Corporate Limits. The excavation work is going to take place inside or outside of the town limits; the work will be both inside and outside the town limits; or you are not sure or don’t know.
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2021, Issue 3 West Virginia 811 • 7