Sharing Locates

Sharing Locates

Ontario One Call would like to remind excavators of the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA) Best Practices regarding the sharing of locates.

Section 4-7 Locate Requests
CCGA Best Practices Version 3.0 – October 2018

Practice Statement: Every excavator on the job has an appropriate locate form before excavating.

Practice Description: Often, there are several excavators on a job site performing work. The construction schedule may dictate different types of work requiring excavation from different specialty contractors simultaneously. It is preferable for each excavator to obtain their own individual locate before excavating to ensure that the specific areas have been appropriately marked by any affected owner. However, where a single locate is relied upon by multiple users on the same project, it is the responsibility of the excavator to ensure that the locate is appropriate for the intended excavation, giving due consideration to the limits of the located area, depth of excavation, locate expiry dates, and the existence of any facilities installed since the locate was performed.

Examples of Sharing Locates

Here are some acceptable examples of sharing locates, provided the General Contractor uses their regular contract ID and not an ALA ID.

1. General Contractor requests locate for self and their subcontractors in the same excavation area by listing all subcontractors on the locate request. General Contractor shares locate with subcontractors.  To find out how click here.
2. General Contractor requests locate for self and shares locate with their subcontractors in the same excavation. Subcontractors are not named on the locate request.

Responsibilities

As a General Contractor sharing a locate, you must ensure that the parameters of the excavation outlined in your locate request are the same as those being performed by your subcontractors.

As a subcontractor receiving a locate from the General Contractor, you are required to review the parameters of the locate to ensure your work is within the locate performed. Otherwise, the subcontractor will require a new locate