Before the sun comes up in Cresthill, Illinois, Henkels & McCoy field crews meet to discuss safety issues related to directional boring and trenching. Emphasized at these meetings are five work practices that our crews follow to help them come home safely at the end of each day.

1. Follow these rules to dig by

   We have a process in place that helps us safely locate underground utilities before directional boring or trenching even takes place. Like many other states, Illinois has a one-call system to coordinate all the local companies that are excavating or digging near gas, phone, water, electric or sewer lines. Before beginning any installation of cable or polyethylene pipe, we check to make sure we are abiding by the lawful start date and time prior to digging. We also verify that we have an accurate scope of work with the one-call system. We then investigate and survey the entire area to make sure the existing cable in the ground is marked properly. We look for potential old or faded marks on sidewalks and curbs that may have been overlooked originally. We use and review our customers' operating and area maps as another safety measure to verify that what's located in the field actually matches up with the appropriate maps. If anything is amiss, this triggers a series of phone calls to get a complete locate marked in the field. Although there are many rules, we preach three — check, look and use — to our crews every day.

2. Implement an excavation safety program

   Once our field crews verify that the lines are correctly marked, we then start boring and trenching. We use a numerical formula as a guideline once we have exceeded certain depths with our excavations. We follow the 5-4-3-2-1 rule to remember key points of our safety excavation program. At 5 ft, once we have dug a pit, we must shore, slope or bench the pit depending on the soil type and ground conditions. At 4 ft, we need to place a ladder inside the trench or pit to make sure it is safe. The ladder must extend 3 ft above the excavation. The dirt removed from the hole while digging must be at least 2 ft from the edge of the excavation. (The shoring also must be 2 ft from the bottom of the pit.) The No. 1 stands for 18 inches, which is the amount of shoring that is needed above the excavation.

3. Set up safe work practices for drill operation

   Before setting up the directional boring machine, the operator must conduct a strike alert test. This test is performed to ensure that if the drill came into contact with a live, energized line, the alarm on the drill would be set off. Henkels & McCoy's drills all have an alarm that sounds off a beeping noise. As an added layer of protection, the drill operator also wears dielectric boots and gloves to protect against electrocution or shock. To safeguard the general public and workers, we also place caution tape and orange cones around the drill. This area acts as a zone of protection. This eliminates the risk of a fellow worker or the general public coming into contact with any of the machine's metal parts while in operation, in the event the drill came into contact with an energized line. We also use a ground stake to keep the machine grounded.

4. Check the calibration prior to drilling or boring

   The field crews perform a calibration test to ensure the accuracy of the receiver and transmitter, also known as the locator and the sonde. Prior to boring, we perform an aboveground test by setting the transmitter 10 ft away from the receiver. A short process called one-point calibration follows to confirm proper calibration. When we drill underneath the ground, the sonde sends a signal to the locator to show our depth/distance, signal strength, pitch, temperature and the direction in which we're heading. If we're off in any direction or depth, we have the potential to come into contact with a utility. We perform calibration checks every day on the receivers/transmitters to make sure they are both working properly. It is vital that we always check the integrity of our equipment.

5. Invest in carts to make it safer to cut polyethylene pipe

   Linemen know that cutting polyethylene pipe and taking it off the reels can be very hazardous. Because of the amount of tension on the coiled poly pipe, extreme caution and awareness is a must. The force behind the pipe is so strong that it could kill someone. Before investing in special carts to handle the 6-inch polyethylene pipes, we would use two pieces of equipment with rated straps to hold either side down. We would then stand between the two machines to cut the pipe. Now, the front vice stabilizes the poly pipe as it is coming off the reel, and the back vice stabilizes it when we're done using it. This allows very minimal swing radius from either end of the poly and keeps us out of the line of fire, making it a safe point to cut the poly.

Boring and trenching can be dangerous work, and to safeguard our field crews, Henkels & McCoy has made safety an integral part of our work practices. Our linemen are directional boring and working in trenches every day to extend the life expectancy of the cable and improve reliability for our customers. By making safety a value, rather than an afterthought, we can help our crews to remain safe and productive even while working underground.

Matt Sherry has worked in the utility industry for 13 years. He started out as a laborer and drill operator, and was then promoted to crew leader. He joined Henkels & McCoy Inc. five years ago as a crew leader and was later promoted to foreman. For the last three years at Henkels & McCoy, he has worked as a general foreman in Cresthill, Illinois, and is responsible for directional boring operations that Henkels & McCoy is performing for ComEd. msherry@henkels.com