Mississippi 811

Volume 3, Issue 1

Digging deeper into the price of safety Generation Why

Now it’s Mississippi 811

page 14 page 12

page 3

Summit: Let’s do it again!page 6

UtiliQuest, LLC Four Concourse Parkway, Suite 250 * Atlanta, GA 30328 (678) 461-3900 * Fax (678) 461-3902 www.utiliquest.com

UTILIQUEST, LLC

UtiliQuest, LLC is the nation’s leading provider of damage prevention and infrastructure related services to major telecommunications, gas, and electric companies. The company has operated as a facility locating provider since 1985, and its services have included engineering, planning, drafting, facility locating, and other technical services to major electric, gas, and telecommunication companies.

Corporately, we have over 1,800 personnel working from 50 offices in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia. UtiliQuest handles over 50,000 utility locating notices per day at a locating accuracy that is greater than 99%.

UtiliQuest began providing facility locating services in Mississippi during the mid 1980’s and today we serve utilities throughout the en-tire state. We are extremely proud of our long-standing service to Mississippi as well as our reputation as an integral part of the damage prevention process.

UtiliQuest’s experience, innovation, and commitment to providing value-added services have resulted in safer excavations, reduced dam-ages, improved data accuracy and lower cost services for our many clients across the country. This commitment and the people behind it are the foundation of UtiliQuest’s continuing leadership of the out-sourced services industry.

3 Vol. 3, Issue 1

from the desk of

Sam JohnsonExecutive DirectorMississippi 811 System, Inc.

Sam Johnson...As I reflect on 2008 for a moment, I remain thankful and

encouraged by the strong partnerships that have been developed. The progress made in establishing a stronger and more effective damage prevention program is encouraging because it was developed in the spirit of cooperation among stakeholders with different perspectives, but a common goal. A special thanks to all of you who continue to work tirelessly for the safety and protection of our families.

Also, I want to say thanks to those of you who have continued to support our publication. We have been given the unique opportunity to promote damage prevention like no other state has been able to do. The advertisers in this publication not only show their support for our united efforts, but are able to send their specific message to more than 15,000 recipients on a quarterly basis. We expect this to be our most exciting year ever.

Our first issue of 2009 brings news of exciting benefits and changes for members and users of Mississippi 811. You’ll find stories about KorWeb. This web based ticket management software is being offered at no cost to our members. Another new service is our E-locate request. You can read about these new features in the magazine, or go to our website and learn about them.

When you go to our website, you will notice that it looks completely different. We’ve worked diligently in designing it to be easier to navigate, more informative, and more intuitive than ever before. Give us your feedback so that we can make it even more beneficial for you.

It seems really hard to believe that this year is Mississippi 811’s 25th anniversary. I’m reminded of the unique privilege I’ve been given. It has been rewarding to have made so many friends with like goals and to serve your damage prevention interests for these many years, and I look forward to working with you as we forge ahead. It is my sincere conviction that the best for Mississippi 811 is just over the next horizon.

We all still have much to learn, and I’m thankful for the opportunity we have to learn it together. It’s been my experience that just about the time we think we know it all, we find out we haven’t been asked all the questions.

What will you do this year to make Mississippi a safer place to live and work?

protecting Mississippi’s vital �ow...one call at a time

4 Vol. 3, Issue 1

NEWSLINEThe Damage Prevention

Coordinators would like to invite contractors, utilities, county and city governments to participate in Damage Prevention Coordination Council Meetings in 2009. Through the damage prevention meetings and programs such as courtesy stops, we can build a partnership to reduce damages and make a safer work place for us all.

If you are interested in attending a DPCC meeting or having one of the Damage Prevention Coordinators conduct a safety meeting for your employees or organization, please contact the Mississippi 811 Center or your local Damage Prevention Coordinator.

Markerboard Report

North Mississippi Jerry Kennemur 662-415-2904jkennemur@ms1call.org

Central Mississippi Henry Greer 601-942-2106hgreer@ms1call.org

South Mississippi Phil Davis – 601-668-6411phildavis@ms1call.org

DPCC Meeting Schedulems1call.org

Call Center Operations End of Year Comparative

* Call ratio is an average of the number of utilities notified per incoming call.

5258 Cedar Park Dr..Jackson, MS 39206601-362-4322www.ms1call.org

Mississippi 811

*

protecting Mississippi’s vital �ow...one call at a time

protecting Mississippi’s vital �ow...one call at a time

Now it’s Mississippi 811At the February 12, 2009 board meeting, the Mississippi One-Call Board

of Directors unanimously voted to promote the importance of calling 811 before you dig by changing their organization’s name from Mississippi One-Call to Mississippi 811.

All correspondence, displays, business cards and the new website will reflect this name change effectively immediately.

Our office is still located at 5258 Cedar Park Drive in Jackson. The same great people will continue to work with you to protect the underground infrastructure and to keep you, your employees and the citizens of your communities safe.

We’ve just changed our name to reflect our commitment to making Mississippi a safer place to live and work.

5 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Volume 3, Issue 1, 2009Mississippi 811 ACTS is published quarterly.

Roger Cox, Publisher Karen Teeter, Editor Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the United States. To subscribe go to

www.ms1call.org No material in this publication may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Editorial and advertising information contained in this publication is taken from sources

considered to be reliable, but the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy.Letters, comments, and articles are encouraged and can be submitted to:

Mississippi 81l ACTS Email: ms1call@aligningchange.com

or 5258 Cedar Park Dr., Jackson, MS 39206The entire contents copyrighted 2009 by Mississippi 811 ACTS. All rights reserved.

Mississippi 811

Mississippi 811 and KorTerra offer KorWeb services

Representative Ellis at the Summit: “I learned the value of Mississippi 811...”

The Master of Zing! He sold hot dogs.

4 9

It’s not just about digging anymore: it’s a public safety issue!14

Generation why1213

27Also in this issue: 1 From the desk of Sam Johnson 3 Mississippi 811 Newsline 5 Profiles 6 Summit: Let’s do it again!10 Pipeline safety11 MDPC update16 Making the pipeline safety message effective 20 The doctor is in22 Me and Dillard25 Progressive Partnering: Working for you in ways you never knew.

24 Tales & Truth, Little Guy, Sudoku Puzzle28 Publisher’s perspective

contents

Welcome New

Mississippi 811 Members

Big V Water Association Buffalo Water Association, Inc. Bunker Hill Water Association

C & C Water Association Chickasaw Electric Cooperative

City of Indianola Connexion Technologies

Desoto County Regional Utility Authority

Dogwood Hills Golf Course, Inc. Edinburg Water Association

Forest Ridge Utility Franklin County Water Association

Harmontown Water Association, Inc. Honey Dipper of Biloxi Corp.

Lorman Waterworks Association McHenry Hill Utilities, LLC

Midway Community Water Association North Beton Water Association Phillipston Water Association

Pine Haven Mobile Home Village Providence Water Association Sandstone Management LLC Sessums Water Association

Short Coleman Park Water Association Sontage Wanilla Water Association, Inc.

South Lake Water Association Stennis Technology Park Inc.

Thomasville Water Association Timbalier Properties, LLC

Tishomingo County Water District Town of Bolton Town of Lyon

Town of Noxapater Village of Satartia

551

900

Trenching and excavation safety Part 1 - The role & responsibilities of the competent person

6 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Mississippi 811 and KorTerra, Inc. are pleased to announce

their partnership to provide KorWeb at no cost to the members of Mississippi 811. This unique partnership has been made possible through Mississippi 811’s vision in forming Progressive Partnering, Inc. (see related story in this issue) KorTerra’s One-Call program provides an innovative and affordable opportunity for One-Call Centers to provide state of the art technology to their members. This program along with some of the innovative ideas being implemented in Mississippi will make Mississippi 811 second to none in providing services to their members.

“KorTerra’s KorWeb ticket management software was designed using many of the same tools we used to develop GeoCall. KorTerra is the perfect match in Mississippi 811’s ongoing commitment to improve service and value to our members. Aligning ourselves with KorTerra to provide this unique opportunity and to be able to do so at no cost to our membership is a no-brainer,” said Sam Johnson, Executive Director of Mississippi 811.

Some of the key advantages of offering KorWeb to the Mississippi 811 members are:

Members have access to industry •leading ticket management software to accurately and efficientlymanagetheirlocatetickets. Eliminates unreliable and •sometimes costly ticket transmissions to their members, including; e-mail, fax, modem, and printer. Improves communications with •excavators and provides an automated system to respond to all tickets. Provides members with an •automated and easy method to store details of the work performed on each ticket. Improves the communications •and response times on emergencynotifications.Ability to customize each •member’s system to meet their needs and increase their efficiency.

Mississippi 811 and KorTerra offer KorWeb servicesPromotes safety and damage •prevention by providing members with access to a robust ticket management tool, which enables them to quickly, accuratelyandefficientlycomplete their locate tickets. FREE for the member to •implement and use! KorWeb is the most

comprehensive one call ticket management software application and is entirely web-based. Therefore, no software is installed on the client computer; all that is needed is an Internet browser. Mississippi 811 members can access their one call tickets via KorWeb anywhere, anytime they can access the Internet. There is no setup, or ongoing maintenance and support fees. Setup is simple and KorTerra takes care of the whole process for the member, so they can receive their locate tickets in KorWeb within 24 hours.

To take advantage of this tremendous opportunity, go to www.ms1call.org and click on the KorWeb icon.

Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant and Senator Billy Thames discuss how to effectively get the message of calling before you dig out to all the stakeholders in Mississippi. Lieutenant Governor Bryant was recently interviewed promoting the importance of keeping Mississippi a safer place to live and work in a video produced by the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee (MDPC).

It’s not just about

digging anymore

7 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Gidgit MitchellCustomer Service Representative

Rita Craddock GIS Processor

Mississippi 811

The Mississippi 811 professionals

working for you

How long have you been a CSR? 12½ years

What do you like most about your job? I love the good Christian atmosphere that I work in. The Mississippi 811 staff are the most wonderful people I have ever worked with and for in my life.

My all time favorite or memorable locate request was...An older gentleman said “go down the hill until you see a dead cow in the road and to then take a left at the post with the bird sitting on it.” I laughed till I cried, but I put in the remarks field as he requested. Where is your hometown? Jackson, Mississippi

Folks who know me would say that I am... loyal, dependable, trustworthy and helpful.

How do you spend your spare time? I love spending time with my husband, going to church, youth activities and with my family.

What quality do you like most about yourself? My husband says I have the biggest heart he has ever known. I hope this is true. I do care so much about others.

What do you least like about yourself? I think the thing I dislike most in myself is that I get a little depressed sometimes. When I do, I turn to God for strength and comfort and I always feel better.

What kind of music do you listen to? I love to listen to Christian Music. Music is one of the greatest loves in my life.

What is your favorite movie? The Ultimate Gift. It teaches us that forgiveness is the tool that unlocks our heart.

What was the last book you read? The Bible

When I was little, I wanted to be …a Nurse so I could help people feel better.

What is the most important lesson you have learned? There is never a moment that you should take for granted!! Always love like it is your last day, pray for each new day and show others the mercy that has been so richly shown to you.

Who has had the greatest impact on your life? God has to be my biggest impact. He has always been such a wonderful Savior and friend. Greg, my husband has given me so much courage and strength through our marriage. He has taught me to stand up for myself and has believed in me through all that I do. He is so precious to me.

How long have you been a CSR? 11 Years What do you like most about your job? The family atmosphere and we can laugh and joke and still get the job done. What do you like the least about your job? I really like my job, it can be repetitive sometimes but overall it’s a pretty good job. My all time favorite or memorable locate request was … When an older gentlemen called and was putting up a fence, he said that he was legally blind and the guy that was helping him was blind. Where is your hometown? Jackson, Mississippi Folks who know me would say that I am... That I am a giving person and reliable, someone that they can count on. How do you spend your spare time? Shopping, reading and watching TV. What quality do you like most about yourself? That I am reliable What do you least like about yourself? I don’t like my hair, because I hate combing my hair and I don’t like anyone else to comb it. (Tender Headed) What kind of music do you listen to? I like anything that has an up beat tempo, I really like music that gets the anger flowing. What is your favorite movie? Tombstone What was the last book you read? The Madaris Family by Brenda Jackson When I was little, I wanted to be … Pharmacist because my sister used to work for my aunt that’s a Pharmacist and I wanted to go to work with my sister. What is the most important lesson you have learned? To be yourself and love yourself. Who has had the greatest impact on your life? I would have to say my mom because she is a caring, warm hearted, God fearing woman. She put other people’s needs and wants before her own.

8 Vol. 3, Issue 1

This has been awesome! Can’t wait until next year!;

“I hope you have these kinds of sessions at the 2009 Summit”; “Outstanding! You should have this session at every Summit”; “Kudos! OSHA should always be part of the Summit”; “Very good presenter! Subject material was an eye-opener!”; “Can we have more sessions on relationships and attitudes?”

Spread the news! Mississippi’s first annual damage prevention Summit was a huge success! More than 200 stakeholders journeyed from all corners of the state and beyond to Tunica last November. Elected officials, water and wastewater operators, gas and pipeline representatives, electric company personnel, telephone representatives, and professional excavators were in attendance for the event. OSHA, PSC, and other state agencies contributed to the success of the event as exhibitors, trainers, and attendees.

damage prevention

A C G A R E G I O N A L E V E N T

Let’s do it again!

One of the Summit’s goals was to bring all of the industry stakeholders together to promote excavation safety and the protection of the underground infrastructure. Another goal was to create an opportunity for the stakeholders to network in an environment that allowed for building relationships rather than the more common adversarial roles. Attendees and exhibitors alike applauded the event as successful in the achievement of these goals.

More than 60 people attended the competent person training provided by TrenchSafety’s David Dow. As the result of the many positive comments from the attendees, the organizers of the event have committed to make this training program a regular part of the Summit.

The keynote speaker for the Summit was the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Tyrone

SuMMIT CONTINuED ON PAGE 9

Sam Johnson, Executive Director, Mississippi 811, welcomes everyone to the first annual Damage Prevention Summit.

Larry Cole, Ph.D, ACTS team member and founder of TeamMax, asks for a show of hands during his session, “Maximizing Employee Potential.”

9 Vol. 3, Issue 1

(top) Representative Tyrone Ellis, District 38, addresses the audience as the keynote speaker at the Summit banquet.

(left) Courtney Bohannon, OSHA reviews a series of excavation hazards.

(right) Bo Womack, UtiliQuest, presents information to improve damage investigations.

(left to right) Jerry Kennemur, Mississippi 811, Mark McCarver, Mississippi PSC, Sam Johnson, Mississippi 811, John McDill, ATMOS Energy visit at the Mississippi 811 booth.

(far left) Paul Ramsey, El Paso Pipeline “sheds a little light on the subject” with Leon Ferguson and Ilicia Boaler, Mississippi Public Service Commission.

(left) Janet Webster and Daniel Shotts with DitchWitch, demonstrate ground penetrating radar to a Summit attendee.

Lloyd Munn, Stewart, Sneed, Hewes/BanCorpSouth uses the guitar to introduce his session on “Crisis Management.”

Joe Mataich, US DOT/PHMSA directs discussion on the impact of the PIPES Act on the industry.

10 Vol. 3, Issue 1

America’s Farmers...The best in the world. Thank You.

We want to keep you running safe.

Soil erosion is a problem for both of us.

11 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Representative Tyrone Ellis was one of the authors of the recently passed legislation requiring all owners/operators of underground

facilities to be a member of Mississippi 811. His passion for protecting Mississippi’s critical infrastructure and commitment to the safety of all citizens made his presentation the highlight of the first annual damage prevention Summit.

Representative Ellis has almost 30 years experience in the legislature and serves on many committees and currently is Chairman of the House Public Utilities Committee. He shared a great story about learning the importance of underground utility lines from a personal episode in his life. His church was expanding, and in order to accomplish the project, a small hill had to be cut down. Before that could happen, there were underground lines that required relocating. Representative Ellis said, “I’m grateful that Mississippi 811 was so available. Although we were unable to get our contractor to undertake moving the lines, we were able to complete the project by getting the phone company to move them. Had we cut those lines, long distance from Meridian to Oxford would have been shut down. Mississippi 811 was able to coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders to the successful completion of the project. I learned the value of Mississippi 811 in that one incident.”

Representative Ellis later stated that “a stronger and more effective damage prevention program is really a Homeland Security issue. Protecting Mississippi’s infrastructure is critical to the state.” He said that, “though the new Information Technology Building is being built to withstand potential damaging forces of nature, protecting the infrastructure feeding such critical services is vital to our security, communication, and economy.”

He continued by stating, “Damage prevention is not just about digging anymore; it’s a public safety issue. We need to spread the word.” Representative Ellis also indicated that our counties and municipalities need to be more aware that failure to develop a stronger and effective damage prevention program can and likely will affect funding from federal agencies in the future.

In closing, Representative Ellis reminded all Summit attendees that they had a damage prevention advocate in the House and encouraged the audience to get their fellow citizens involved in this very important task of protecting Mississippi’s critical infrastructure.

Spread the word!

Representative Ellis at the Summit: “I learned the value of Mississippi 811...”Ellis. Representative Ellis has served

in the House since 1980 and represents District 38. His commitment to his District and all citizens of Mississippi was obvious as he shared his perspective with the attendees of the Summit. He stressed the importance of protecting the state’s infrastructure through education, training, and legislation as required (See some of Representative Ellis’s comments in related story).

Thanks to everyone who donated door prizes. The drawings at every meal added a lot of fun for all the attendees. Harrah’s donated the grand prize. It was a weekend in Tunica at the Veranda Hotel and dinner for two at the new Paula Dean restaurant. The winner was Mary Gates, City of Okolona.

Gold Sponsors for the event were BP Pipelines, Colonial Pipeline Company, El Paso/Tennessee Gas Pipeline, and Shell Pipeline Company. Atmos Energy was a Silver Sponsor. Bronze Sponsors included Centennial Pipeline, BankPlus, Denbury Resources, Inc., KorTerra, Steward Sneed Hewes – BancorpSouth, Subsite Electronics, Trunkline Gas, and UtiliQuest.

On behalf of the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee (MDPC), a “very special thanks” is extended to the sponsors and exhibitors for making the event so successful. Planning has already begun on the 2009 Summit. The MDPC has elected to have the 2009 Summit back at Harrah’s in Tunica. The date for the event will be November 9 -11, 2009. The tentative location for the 2010 Summit will be Vicksburg.

Mark your calendars for November 9 – 11, 2009. You’ll be glad you did!

SuMMIT CONTINuED FROM PAGE 6

damage prevention

A C G A R E G I O N A L E V E N T

November 9-11, 2009Tunica, MS

12 Vol. 3, Issue 1

States play critical role in pipeline safety

by Mark McCarver

Mark McCarver is the Director of the Pipeline Safety Division of the

Mississippi Public Service Commission.

The Pipeline Safety Act (“Act”) (49U.S.C.60101, et

seq.) authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to administer a pipeline safety program for the gas and hazardous liquid pipelines in the United States. This Act allows the Secretary to delegate all or part of the responsibilities for pipeline safety to interested states. It also provides for participating states to receive federal grants of up to 80% of the cost of their safety programs. This resulting partnership of the federal government and participating states is critical for insuring safe transportation of gas and hazardous liquid products to the consumer.

Since this Act was signed into law in 1968, states have actively assisted the Secretary to carry out the nation’s pipeline safety program. In fact, state pipeline safety personnel actually represent more than 80% of the state/federal inspection workforce. It could be said that state inspectors are the “first line of defense” at the local or community level to promote pipeline safety, underground utility damage prevention, and public education and awareness regarding pipelines. Each state participating in the program not

only responds to jurisdictional incidents and investigates them, but also has the responsibility of insuring that pipeline safety regulations are correctly carried out by operators of the systems under state authority.

State safety activities include inspections of existing pipeline facilities, covering gas distribution and transmission systems, liquefied natural gas, propane systems, master meter systems, offshore pipelines, and hazardous liquid pipelines. State personnel also conduct inspections of new pipeline construction, engage in excavation damage prevention, review safety records, verify compliance, carry out enforcement actions, and investigate pipeline accidents under their jurisdiction. State pipeline safety offices provide advice to their state commissions on specific safety-related issues, implement training programs, coordinate with local officials, handle complaints from the public, and help educate legislators and the public.

Most of the pipelines under state jurisdiction are located near or within highly populated areas making state safety inspections critical for public safety. This results in pipeline inspectors actually living in the areas where pipeline system operators

work. This association results in long- term working relationships with their operators, and both parties can interact whenever necessary.

State programs today have jurisdiction over 10,000 intrastate gas operators and over 400 intrastate hazardous liquid operators nationwide.

The Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES) imposes requirements that require additional state efforts to verify compliance with the law and resulting regulations.

The PIPES Act covers added inspection requirements on low stress liquids pipelines, an integrity management program for gas distribution systems, pipeline control center management plans and additional data collection requirements. Probably the most significant of these is the distribution integrity management standard (DIMP) which will soon become law. This law will add many requirements for nearly two million miles of the nation’s gas distribution pipelines and thousands of gas companies.

Additionally, the PIPES Act recognizes the need for stronger, more effective damage prevention programs at the state level. It contains language and incentives to encourage states to strengthen their underground utility safety and damage prevention programs. The PIPES Act impacts all aspects of damage prevention from membership in the state’s one-call system to effective enforcement for all violators of the state’s damage prevention laws.

I hope you’ll become part of Mississippi’s Damage Prevention Committee and join in with other stakeholders in the development and implementation of our state’s program.

The MDPC met December 1, 2008 to review the progress made during the past year. Working

together to see legislation passed that requires all owners/operators of underground facilities to be members of Mississippi 811 certainly encouraged the committee that organizations and associations could put aside differences to work for a common goal. The goal of keeping Mississippi a safer place to live and work remains at the top of the list for the committee this year.

Then there was the excitement of bringing on new stakeholders to the committee during the year. The committee remains committed to the idea that its highest and best service is in consensus building. Bringing on more stakeholders and perspectives only makes the direction clearer in its commitment to create the most effective damage prevention program possible.

As the committee discussed the successes of the past year, all were in agreement that the recently held damage prevention Summit had exceeded expectations. The date of the 2009 Summit was voted to be November 9 – 11. It was agreed to hold the 2009 event in Tunica and look at Vicksburg as a potential site for 2010.

Jay Street and John McDill, Co-Chairmen of the MDPC, led the committee in a discussion to determine direction for 2009. Their agenda included three main points.

First, it was determined that we needed to make every effort to identify key players and bring them to the table during the year. Members of the committee were asked to help in the process of identifying those individuals or organizations that had not been actively involved with the collaborative efforts of promoting fair and effective damage prevention in Mississippi. All agreed that this effort was critical to the success of the group’s mission.

Second, while legislation will be necessary to ultimately achieve success, the committee agreed to work on a plan to provide on-going training and education for all stakeholders in the state. Bill Rutledge, Mayor of Pontotoc, commented, “We need to educate the public and the public needs educated about the importance of these issues. If they really understand what’s at stake, they’ll demand we get serious about protecting their families and their services from unnecessary damages.”

MDPC uPDATE CONTINuED ON PAGE 21

You can’t build a relationship with a hammer. Dillard Fricks

Free tools available for Mississippi 811

members

The price is right and the

benefits are unbelievable. Mississippi 811 has a new

website, which offers the same great service, but with a new look.

Check us out at www.ms1call.org. Also, now you have an option to request a locate at your convenience. It’s a new service called E-locate request. Go to our website and learn more about it. You are going to like it. KorWeb is a new and free ticket management program offered to all members of Mississippi 811.

protecting Mississippi’s vital �ow...one call at a time

14 Vol. 3, Issue 1

by Dr. Larry Cole

Before we get into the topic of this article, I want to bring

Eric Chester’s book, Getting Them To Give A Damn to your attention. Chester specializes in helping employers work with their Generation Y employees, and he coined the phrase “Generation Why” to refer to this age group. You will want to read his book.

The typical manager’s method of instructing employees is to “tell them” with the expectation that the employees will dutifully respect their authority and obey their wishes. This technique is not effective with Generation Why employees. Like all employees, Generation Why does not like to be told what to do. Unlike older employees though, Generation Why employees push back—they want to know “why?” Older employees tend to be more submissive.

The typical manager may not recognize the “good” in this push back. Instead, they may perceive this natural curiosity as a threat to their position and power. Too many managers let their ego get in the way of being an effective manager. Tom Burnell, CEO of the Nebraska Heart Hospital, continuously reminds his managers, “Remember, we were people before we were titled.”

Consider the following two points:

1. Explain why. People smart managers will take advantage of this natural curiosity to more effectively communicate with employees. A mortal sin of the typical manager is to tell

people change is being implemented without sharing with employees “why” the change is being made other than, “because that’s the way it is.” I hope you will agree that such a lame excuse is a weak leadership style, and that same manager will wonder “why” employees resist implementing change.

Sixty years ago the Harwood Study ushered “participatory management” into the corporate world. The benefits of engaging employees in the designing and implementing of changes that directly affect them are widely known. In spite of the documentation showing the financial gains of such a leadership style, what do many leaders do? You got it…tell, direct and expect employees to like it. Do you see a disconnect here?

Generation Why people expect to be engaged. They know it is a waste of their talent to simply be idle. They don’t want to quietly go to work every day and be bored to tears. They want to participate. They want to be challenged. They want to be part of defining the “why” in your organization, just as the older employees do. Generation Why employees just have more courage to let you know that.

2. Challenge the status quo. There is an interesting cliché that states, “the definition of insanity is continuing to do things the way you’ve always done and to expect a different result.” Even though managers will agree with the truth in that statement, what is the tendency of many managers? Continue

doing what they’ve always done while rationalizing that “if it’s not broke, don’t break it.”

Organizational leaders will universally agree that it is crucial to continuously improve performance and profitability. Do you see the natural disconnect between this universal agreement and the preceding definition of insanity? They are mutually exclusive categories. You can’t have it both ways.

If you’re going to proactively take your organization to the next level, you’re going to have to challenge your status quo. You are going to have to do some things differently. To do that, you’ve got to ask two central questions:

1. Why do we do things as we do? 2. What can we do to improve?Generation Why employees enjoy

asking these questions so take advantage of their natural curiosity to help answer the questions.

The essence of these series of articles is to challenge your status quo of how you work with your people. You are the spark plug. Your people will respond to you as they are treated by you. Generation Why employees can help you to become a more effective leader. Listen to what they’re telling you, and be thankful for that!

Editor’s Note: This is the third article of a four part series on working more effectively with Generation Y employees.

A clever person turns great problems into little ones and little ones into none at all. Chinese proverb

Trenching and excavation safety Part one: The role and responsibilities of the competent person

(above) Inspecting all equipment and materials before use is an important responsibility of the Competent Person. (right) Although not required by law, many safety professionals encourage use of a checklist to help insure a thorough inspection and for documentation purposes.

COMPETENT PERSON CONTINuED ON PAGE 23

Working in trenches and excavations is potentially one of the most hazardous types of work in the construction and utility industry. Across

the U.S., as many as 400 workers are killed, and several thousand are injured, each year. Not surprisingly, most of these workers have received no trenching and excavation safety training. What is surprising is that most of the trenches are relatively shallow (five to 15 feet deep).

Many construction people don’t appreciate the enormous weight of soil. One cubic foot of soil weighs between 90 and 140 pounds. Therefore, a cubic yard of soil can weigh almost 4,000 pounds. As a result, there’s usually a death or very serious injury when a trench cave-in occurs.

In an attempt to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries that occur each year in trenches and excavations, the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) requires that a “Competent Person” be on site whenever workers are exposed in an excavation. OSHA defines a Competent Person as one who:

1. is capable of identifying existing or predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who

2. has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

OSHA goes on to stipulate that the Competent Person on a trenching and excavation site must have specific training in — and be knowledgeable of — soils analysis, the use of protective systems, and the requirements of the OSHA Standard (29 CFR 1926, Subpart P).

16 Vol. 3, Issue 1

You probably don’t remember exactly where you were on

March 5, 2008 either. After all, it was a day like most days, filled with the hopes and dreams of things that could be. No one could have anticipated the horrifying and deadly event that took place in one of Plum Borough, Pennsylvania’s quieter neighborhoods.

Without warning, the explosion that ripped through the house killed a man and seriously injured his four-year old granddaughter. The neighborhood would never be the same as three homes were destroyed and 11 more damaged.

Accident investigations following the incident determined the probable cause of the accident was “excavation damage to a two-inch natural gas, distribution pipeline; the pipe’s protective coating had been stripped which made the pipe susceptible to corrosion and failure.”

Further research showed that “five years earlier, a sewer line to the house was replaced. The sewer line crossed the gas pipeline near the location where the pipeline later failed.” The sewer project was completed. No one would have thought that the scarred gas pipeline left behind was really a ticking

time bomb that would be heard from again long after the grass healed the construction site.

Naturally, the victims in this incident did not have a clue of the impending destruction. Had there been a stakeholder meeting in their city, no one there would have missed them because no one expected them to show up. Clearly, those who are responsible for protecting their families, homes and neighborhoods must be better informed about the dangers associated with underground construction and they need to know what can be done to insure the maximum protection of their families.

These kinds of incidents across the country have led the U.S. Congress to pass more stringent regulation defining an effective and measurable damage prevention program. The responsibilities of the stakeholders associated with it go far beyond compliance to include not only informing the general public, but also involving the public as a stakeholder. And the truth is that nobody has more at stake with less information than the average citizen of our state.

That’s why Bill Rutledge, Mayor of Pontotoc has been led to say, “Effective damage prevention happens

when we begin to educate the public about the importance of these issues. If they really understand what’s at stake, they’ll demand we get serious about protecting their families and their services from unnecessary damages.”

Mississippi’s Response.Federal legislation such as

the PIPES Act and its nine elements of a stronger and more effective damage prevention program brought stakeholders together in Mississippi. This diverse group of stakeholders formed the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee (MDPC) and hit the ground running. They agreed to work together, to go beyond their past differences and keep their state in tune with the federal initiatives.

Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant supports working together to make Mississippi a safer place to live and work. “Legislators have homes, families and we work around our farms just like everyone else. We’ve all got responsibilities and it is critical that we call Mississippi 811 before we dig. I believe that it is important that we apply all of the resources that we can to protect life and property in our state.”

District 38 Representative, Tyrone Ellis summarized the significance of the

It’s not just about digging anymore: it’s a public safety issue!Senator Nolan Mettetal

Chairman, Mississippi Senate Public Utilities Committee

Representative Tyrone Ellis Chairman, Mississippi

House Public Utilities Committee

Sam JohnsonExecutive Director

Mississippi 811

Phil BryantLieutenant GovernorState of Mississippi

Digging deeper into the price of safety...

17 Vol. 3, Issue 1

It’s not just about digging anymore: it’s a public safety issue!Sam Johnson

Executive DirectorMississippi 811

MDPC efforts recently at a gathering of damage prevention professionals. “Stronger damage prevention laws are not just about digging anymore,” he said. “It’s a public safety issue. Our counties and municipalities need to be aware of the importance of protecting Mississippi’s critical infrastructure and our commitment to it.”

It’s the law.Two champions making

Mississippi a safer place to live and work are Representative Tyrone Ellis, Chairman, House Public Utilities Committee and Senator Nolan Mettetal, Chairman, Senate Public Utilities Committee. Their unique perspectives and understanding of the vital issues led them to author and introduce a bill in the 2008 legislative session. The proposal would require all owners/operators of underground facilities to be a member of Mississippi 811. Associations that had opposed such initiatives in the past supported the MDPC proposal in the best interest of all citizens. The Committee continued to share the message of a measurable damage prevention and public safety program in meeting after meeting.

Public Service Commissioner, Leonard Bentz, Southern District, an advocate for developing the damage prevention program at the state level encouraged the group by saying, “We really have some great minds in our legislature who understand the needs of our people. I am convinced they will work diligently to pass legislation that both benefits and protects our citizens.”

The bill passed in the House by a vote of 116 – 2 and was adopted by the Senate unanimously. There were no celebrations. It did seem obvious, however, that the legislation was not only needed, but was also wanted by an overwhelming majority of legislators and by the forward thinking professionals charged with protecting the health and safety of our citizens while minimizing disruptions to our underground infrastructure. Senator Mettetal said, “I am extremely proud of Mississippi 811 and its board. They’ve worked hard to protect the underground facilities in our state. We are all very proud of our underground infrastructure, but the main thing is that we must protect the public. And we as legislators want to work with this group to help them keep all of us safe. I am grateful to them for their efforts.”

The MDPC was energized to identify and develop the next logical steps to make Mississippi a safer place to live and work.

Bill Rutledge, Mayor of Pontotoc sits on the Mississippi Municipal League Board of Directors, the Mississippi Rural Water Board and is a member of the MDPC. When asked about utilities that might resist joining the One-Call system following the passage of the bill he replied, “Now that the law is passed, the discussion should be over. As far as I’m concerned, there is no need to have a discussion about the merits of membership. No matter what the reasons may be for or against it, the issue has been settled in the legislature. What’s left is for all owners/operators is either to comply or be in violation of Mississippi law.”

Mayor Rutledge added that he has been fortunate to be associated with really good people. “I’ve made lots of friends in the MML and have the greatest respect for them. The Mayors and other elected officials want to do what is right for those they represent. They are not going to sit in their offices

Kirby Mayfield Chief Executive Officer

Mississippi Rural Water AssociationLeonard Bentz

Commissioner, Southern DistrictMississippi Public Service Commission

Bill RutledgeMayor

City of Pontotoc, Mississippi

PubLIC SAFETY ISSuE CONTINuED ON PAGE 19

18 Vol. 3, Issue 1

by Jack GarrettDirector of Regulatory Services, DIG TESS

pipeline safety message effective

Frozen ground at the pipeline in • warm weatherDirt blowing up from the ground•

What to Do If You SuSpect a Leak

Immediately leave the area.• If possible, turn off any equipment • being used in or near the suspected leak. Abandon any equipment being used and move upwind from the suspected leak.From a safe location, call 911 or •

your local emergency response number and the pipeline company. Call collect, if needed, and give your name, phone number, description of the leak, and its location.Warn others to stay away when • possible.

What Not to Do If You SuSpect a Leak

Do not touch, breathe, or make • contact with the leaking liquids or gas. Stay upwind if possible.

My former employer had a very colorful safety manager,

maybe the most superstitious person I have ever met. Each week we had our safety meeting and the topic was usually selected by our corporate office or based on an incident or near incident in the recent past. Our safety manager, Jim, believed that if we had a safety meeting on a specific topic that somehow we would have one of those types of accidents. For a while, he almost had me convinced of his jinx theory.

If we conducted a safety meeting on hand tool safety, sure enough that week someone would hit their finger with a hammer or cut themselves with a box knife. If we had a meeting on safely backing vehicles into parking spots, sure enough someone would back over their own lunch box.

So by the time we addressed the topic of pipeline safety, he had me just a little spooked. I knew the facts. Our company had not experienced a pipeline or natural gas damage in years. I knew the material. It hadn’t really changed in years, but a refresher for the staff and covering the topic with new employees was crucial. So with that, we went through the material.RecogNIzINg a pIpeLINe Leak

A pool of liquid on the ground • near a pipeline, a dense white cloud or fog over a pipeline, or discolored vegetation surrounding the pipeline, an unusual dry spot in an otherwise moist field, bubbling in marshland, rivers or creeks, or an oily sheen appearing on water surfaces may be signs of a leakAn unusual noise coming from • the pipeline, such as a hissing or roaring sound, may be a sign of a leakAn unusual smell or gaseous odor • will sometimes accompany a pipeline leak

Do not light a match, start an • engine, use a telephone, turn on or off any type of electrical switch such as a light, garage door opener, etc., or do anything that may create static or a spark.Do not attempt to extinguish any • pipeline fire that may start.Do not drive into a leak or vapor • cloud area. Automobile engines may ignite the vapors.

Do not attempt to operate • valves.MarkerS

For your safety, markers show • the approximate location of pipelines and identify the companies that operate them.Markers may be anywhere • along the right-of-way or directly over the pipeline. The pipeline may not follow a straight course between markers. While markers are helpful in • locating pipelines, markers are limited in the information they provide. Markers provide no information, for example, on the depth or the number of pipelines in the right-of-way. Markers may commonly • be found where a pipeline intersects a street, highway, or railway. These markers indicate • the material transported in the pipeline, the name of the pipeline operator, and a telephone number where the pipeline operator can be reached in the event of an emergency.

You should be aware of any • pipeline markers in your neighborhood and if possible, write down the name and phone numbers appearing on the pipeline markers in case of an emergency. Pipeline markers are important for • the safety of the general public. It is a federal crime for any person to

Making the

19 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Weeks went by and no accidents, then months, then a year. At some point, even Jim began to believe that training, and what was sometimes referred to as the boring safety meeting, might actually be the reason we went incident free that year. Since that was reflected in his bonus, he was the happiest I had ever seen him and maybe just a little less superstitious.

Getting the message down in the trenches was the mantra. We’ve all heard it. “How to do it best is what has always been the challenge.”

If you have ever been the company safety manager, you have had to ponder that question. Utility companies communicate safety information to contractors and excavators on a regular basis, but does it get past the front desk if it is mailed? If it does, will it reach a person in a position to communicate the information to people actually performing the work?

Sometimes employees listen to someone outside the company better than the company safety manager.

If you would like to have a Damage Prevention Coordinator come to your locaton for a free safety meeting, call Mississippi 811 at 601-362-4322. Let us make your next safety meeting easy and effective.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. Albert Einstein

Office of Pipeline Safetywww.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline

The Partnership for Excellence in Pipeline Safety

National Pipeline Mapping System

This database of pipeline operators and the location of their lines was designed for the public to have access to contact informa-tion for pipeline companies operating in your area.

www.npmsa.phmsa.gov

Please see the following sources for more information on pipeline and natural gas safety:

Resourceswillfully deface, damage, remove, or destroy any pipeline sign or right-of-way marker.

What to Do If a pIpeLINe IS DaMageD or DISturbeD

Even if you cause what appears • to be only minor damage to the pipeline, immediately notify the pipeline company. A gouge, scrape, dent, or crease • to the pipe or coating may cause a future rupture or leak. It is critical that a cut or broken • tracer wire be repaired. It is imperative that the pipeline • owner inspects and repairs any damage to the line or related apparatus. Many states have laws requiring • damages to be reported to the facility owner and/or the One-Call center by dialing 811. Do not attempt to make the repairs • to the line yourself. If a line is ruptured or leaking, call • 911. Contact the pipeline company as quickly as possible. Pipeline marker signs show the pipeline company’s name, emergency telephone number, and pipeline contents.

So the training was complete. Would Jim’s jinx theory hold up? It was his superstition verses my logic, or as I told him, his negative faith verses my positive belief.

www.safepipelines.org orwww.pipeline101.com

www.commongroundalliance.comCommon Ground Alliance

20 Vol. 3, Issue 1

To locate and mark buried utility gas, electric, cable and telephone lines, call 811 at least three business days before

digging begins. It’s safe, it’s free and it’s the law.

If you suspect a natural gas leak, call 1-866-322-8667. For more informationabout gas safety, visit atmosenergy.com.

To locate and mark buried utility gas, electric, cable and telephone lines, call 811 at least two business days before

digging begins. It’s safe, it’s free and it’s the law.

The average cost to repair a damaged six- inch water line

can easily exceed $500.00 and that doesn’t account for lost water, potential boil water notices or street repair. It certainly doesn’t account for the frustrations your customers are exposed to. The municipality that is a member of Mississippi 811 will receive about 30 notices monthly for that same cost and has the security to know that they are being notified about construction and other digging projects within their boundaries.

Mississippi 811 membership saves time and money

April isNational

Safe DiggingMonth

21 Vol. 3, Issue 1

and not do what is necessary to protect their citizens or municipality.”

Kirby Mayfield, CEO of Mississippi Rural Water and the newest board member of Mississippi 811 is in agreement with Mayor Rutledge. “The requirement for all owners/operators of underground facilities to be a member of Mississippi 811 was the right thing to do.”

The next step.The nine elements of a stronger

and more effective damage prevention program identify other issues that will take shape legislatively. Issues such as positive response, dispute resolution and effective enforcement are issues that will cause the various associations and groups across the state to choose sides. However challenging the issues may be for the MDPC, in the end these initiatives will be supported and adopted by the coalition built to protect Mississippi’s greatest asset, because it will be the right thing to do.

Sam Johnson, Executive Director of Mississippi 811 and a member of the MDPC reinforced the committee’s commitment when he said, “It is critical that we get all the players together. This effort is not a one-sided issue. In order to gain the respect of our peers, we must be willing to listen and confidently affirm our commitment to doing the right thing for all stakeholders in the state.”

Whatever may be the difficulties in gaining consensus for legislation, the committee is in complete agreement that the single most important task they face going forward is the education of the stakeholders and the inclusion of the general public as a stakeholder.

Reaching all stakeholders with a consistent message is anyone’s Goliath. Commissioner Bentz cautioned the committee, “It’s important to have a well thought out plan that can be measured as it’s implemented.”

The MDPC agreed to work to develop a consistent message. The message will be delivered through its website. It will be delivered through the Mississippi 811 ACTS magazine

and through meetings, from civic club presentations to the more traditional Damage Prevention Coordinating Council meetings.

The MDPC has placed a premium on building relationships. There are ongoing efforts to reach out to other stakeholders who are not yet involved. Representative Ellis reminded the committee of their responsibility when he said, “Our citizens must be involved in this effort, and the way you get them involved is to spread the word.”

Roger Cox, ACTS Now, Inc. suggested to the committee, “It may be that the most effective approach is to tell people why they are a stakeholder, not that they are a stakeholder. Taking the message of ‘you need to be involved in the damage prevention process’ to the general public will create questions.” He went on to say, “We must be able to answer the questions of ‘why’ and ‘what can I do’ with conviction.”

Can this really happen in Mississippi?

Mark McCarver, Director of Pipeline Safety for the Public Service Commission is quick to point out that the pipeline industry has worked hard to ensure the safety of its employees, the excavating community and the affected public within the influence of their pipelines.

Having said that, McCarver added, “We certainly have had incidents in our state over the past few years and as recently as last year. These incidents have caused the destruction of property and tragically, in some instances, the loss of life.

The causes for this destruction range from inadequate training to corroded pipe. Pipe corrosion can be caused by a number of reasons. But one of the causes is certainly the scarring of gas pipe caused by excavation. Gas pipe is compromised anytime the protective coating is removed. This can be caused by excavating equipment, but could also be caused by a shovel.” Anytime contact is made with gas pipe, the safest thing to do is to contact your local gas company. The gas company will appreciate the opportunity to insure that their system remains protected.

McCarver cautioned everyone, “At some point that unprotected piece

of pipe will fail. Its failure often results in catastrophe and tragedy. We must be more effective in reaching and defining the stakeholders in our efforts to keep Mississippi a safer place to live and work. The MDPC has committed itself to this goal and I’m pleased to be part of the team.”

What can I do? Kirby Mayfield, CEO of

Mississippi Rural Water said it best. “We need to educate one another. Our water operators know our business better than anybody. The gas industry understands their business better than we do. What we must do is work together to protect all underground utilities because we all work for the same people. Our customers depend on us for safe drinking water. They also have a right to expect that we and all utilities are working together to protect them from unintended disruption of service or catastrophic consequences of unsafe excavation practices.”

You might say, “I’m not an excavator and I don’t work for a utility, what am I able do?” Great question! Because what you think is important, becomes important to everybody around you.

Make sure that before any work is performed for you that a call has been made to Mississippi 811 for your protection. Even if you are going to remove that old stump yourself, dial 811 and make sure you aren’t going to pull up a utility line with the roots.

Ask your city or water system to support damage prevention by becoming a member of Mississippi 811. It’s not only the law, but more importantly, it is the right thing to do.

Ask your legislator to support the MDPC proposals designed to keep you and your family safe.

Recognize yourself as a stakeholder in developing a stronger and more effective damage prevention program in Mississippi. In so doing, you’ll learn more about how to protect your home and family from the dangers of the unseen network of highways.

After all, you still tell them to look both ways before crossing the street, don’t you? Of course you do…because even the safest highways can be dangerous.

PubLIC SAFETY ISSuE CONTINuED FROM PAGE 15

22 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Be dependable to do what has been • agreed to be done, i.e., meet/exceed stated expectations.Empower or encourage independent • decision making to use the employees’ specialized knowledge and skills.Keep confidential information • confidential.Willingly admit mistakes.• Be emotionally consistent.•

Again, look at these behaviors and note every one of these interpersonal skills is contained within your body. You don’t have to learn a thing.

Now you know the answer to the question raised at the beginning of this article—define the performance standards or expectations of how you want your employees to work with each other to create synergistic teamwork and a safer environment. Once defined, you can be the person Gandhi spoke about, “Be the change you wish to see in this world.”

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Dalai Lama

Larry Cole, Ph.D, founded TeamMax®, Inc. and the TeamMax® methodologies to improve employee performance to maximize financial success. He is the author of People-$mart Leaders: Maximize People, Performance & Profits. Each year he speaks to thousands of people on personal development, change management and measuring behavioral change. He can be reached at: larry@aligningchange.com

A common complaint in organizations is that

employees are treating each other like a baby treats a diaper! Now that’s not conducive to a safe work environment. Instead of blaming employees for these child-like behaviors, is it possible that the organizational leaders can do something to minimize such behavior? The short answer is…yes.

For example, let me ask what you may think is a silly question. Do you want your people to be friendly? The obvious answer—“yes.” Do you think “friendliness” is DNA determined or learned? I’m surprised by the number of people who believe it is genetically determined. Now the “crucial question” is, “What behaviors constitute friendliness?”

Think about the importance of your answer. Many organizational leaders don’t define the expected behaviors for several reasons. First they never thought about it. Second they don’t know how to define it. Third they assume everyone knows what “being friendly” means and will naturally “be friendly.” But, you know what you get when you “ass-u-me.”

The interesting dilemma is that it would be absurd to hire a new employee and not specifically list the performance expectations to complete their technical job responsibilities. The importance of using effective interpersonal skills is widely, if not universally, accepted.

Then why not define the performance expectations to successfully complete interpersonal performance? Quite frankly, not doing so simply does not make sense to me—as you could probably guess!

Employees have told me that certain core behaviors define being friendly, such as:

Smile• Use a courteous greeting.• Talk in terms of other’s interests.• Use their names during the • conversation.Enjoy a sense of humor.•

Granted, some of us have personalities that are more prone to use these behaviors than others, but the point is that everyone can use these behaviors. Additionally, these behaviors can be both modeled and taught. Consequently, since such behaviors are observable, you can hold people accountable for using them.

Now let’s raise the bar a notch. We know that employees work more safely when they feel trusted. Trust is often referred to as the “lubricant in working relationships.” Being trusted helps people feel valued. Feeling valued leads to a higher level of job satisfaction which leads to working safely. So what behaviors can be used to show people they are trusted?

Employees have told me that to “feel trusted,” their supervisor needs to:

Keep the employees informed with • needed information.

23 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Third, John McDill presented a proposal for consideration in the upcoming legislative session. The proposal introduced electronic positive response. The positive response information system (PRIS) is an automated information system operated and maintained by Mississippi 811 that allows excavators, locators, facility owners or operators to enter and/or determine the status of a locate request.

The PRIS receives information when a utility is located. The person would then report that the work had been completed or that there was not a conflict in the proposed excavation site. The reporting could be handled automatically if the utility used a ticket management system such as Mississippi 811’s new and free ticket management system, KorWeb. The locator could report the status of the locate request to the PRIS through any internet connection. And the third option would be through the use of a phone. PRIS is a fully automated process, so the time involved in reporting the status of the ticket is minimal.

If all utility owners identified the status of their utility through the PRIS, the excavator could receive verification that it was safe to dig, and possibly prior to the two working day requirement.

One of the challenges most often brought to the attention of the committee over the past year has been the difficulties associated with locating underground facilities. It has been noted that at times, some utility lines have been placed so deep that the utility was unable to be located. More common, however, is the practice of installing plastic pipes without the installation of locating wire. Such practice not only creates additional work for the operator responsible for locating the facility, but can also cost the excavator in downtime. In an interview about locating underground water lines, Kirby Mayfield, Mississippi Rural Water’s CEO, said “that especially in rural water applications, it can take longer to find the main line than to make the water tap for new service.”

The Committee agreed to a proposed amendment to the damage prevention law that would require all owner/operators, beginning January 1, 2010, to insure that all underground utilities are installed in such manner that the utility may be located by using a generally accepted electronic locating method.

The MDPC invites all interested stakeholders to join with the committee in keeping Mississippi a safer place to live and to work. If you want more information about the MDPC and your role in the damage prevention effort, contact them at mdpc@msdamageprevention.com. Also, in the upcoming months, the MDPC will have a website designed to reach all stakeholders interested in keeping your families and communities free from the inconvenience of unnecessary disruptions to utility lines or the potential catastrophe and tragedy caused by damaging gas or electric lines.

We invite you to work with us; it’s the right thing to do. GulfSafe is operated by Texas Excavation Safety System, Inc.

Somewhere out there are more than 35,000 miles of pipelines and thousands

of miles of telecommunications cables.

GulfSafe is a new notification system working to eliminate preventable damages to subsurface infrastructure in the Gulf of

Mexico and the Straits of Florida.

We’re moving offshore

www.gulfsafe.com

MDPC uPDATE CONTINuED FROM PAGE 11

24 Vol. 3, Issue 1

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More than 14 inches of ice and snow rarely happened

in Southwest Arkansas. But it did in January 1961. “Come on, boy,” I said to my squirrel dog, Skippy, as I flew down the back steps toward the new world dressed in white. “This is going to be the best day ever. I am going to build my first real live snowman.” Since moving in with my Uncle and Aunt eight years ago, there had never been enough snow to build a snowman. Only just a few weeks earlier, we sang the song about Frosty the Snowman, and now I was going to make him come alive.

It was quiet outside. No birds or critters were talking, and only a few cars ever drove past our house. And the ones that did, we knew by sound. Maybe that’s why the sound of an unfamiliar pickup pulling in our front yard caught my attention. A stranger in overalls, a big brown coat and a cap with tie-down flaps over his ears carefully walked through the gate and up to the front door as I peered around the corner of the house. I heard him say to my Aunt Beulah, “Alva is hurt bad. He fell on the ice at the Big Store and is unconscious. They’ve taken him to the hospital in DeQueen.” He continued, “Mr.. Reed told me to see if you needed a ride to the hospital.”

My auntie certainly needed a ride anywhere. The only vehicle we had was a 1949 Chevy pickup, and my uncle had it. Beyond that, Auntie wasn’t that good a driver even when the sun was shining. She was one of the few people I ever knew that once got a ticket for driving too slow.

She looked at me and said, “Honey, I’ve got to go and check on Uncle. Will you be ok? I’ll stop at Anna Belle’s and ask her to come by and check on you later tonight.”

“Go on Auntie,” I bravely said. “I’ll be ok.” Choking back the tears as she got in the pickup, I listened until it

was completely out of hearing. I went in the house and filled the wood box in the corner of the room and threw another stick of wood on the fire. Somehow building a snowman wasn’t on my list of things I wanted to do that day.

Sure enough, later that evening, Mrs. Anna Belle came by with good stuff to eat. She talked a lot and kept saying not to worry about things. I’m pretty sure I was worried more when she got through talking than I was before she started. “Just pitiful, as sure-footed as Alva is, who would have thought something like this could happen,” she said. “And what worries me most is that your uncle might not make it through the night,” said Mrs. Anna Belle. “And your auntie just got over that stroke. She’s barely able to keep herself. I don’t know how in the world she’d be able to take care of a rambunctious boy like you. We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Mercifully, she finished up and started out the front door. She turned and said obligingly, “Honey, do you want to stay with us tonight?” I replied, “No ma’am, I’ve got chores to get done early in the morning. I’ll be ok.” The truth was, though she meant well, she hurt more than she helped. I was sad before she got there. I was sad and scared when she left.

I slept fitfully. The sun could not come up fast enough the next morning. Cows to milk, mules to feed, chopping holes in the pond so the critters could drink, splitting more wood and feeling sorry for myself kept me so depressed, I didn’t even see Dillard walking up the steps until the door slammed shut with a bang. He said, “Dang! It’s cold, not as cold as the blizzard of ’29 mind you, but it’s dang cold!” No doubt about it, he was master of the obvious. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, looked at me and asked, “What’s wrong?”

I told him as much as I knew. And then I told him more than I knew. I repeated what Mrs. Anna Belle said, that Uncle wouldn’t make it through the night and that I might not get to stay with Auntie.

“Shoot boy, why do you want to believe that? If you insist on believing something, believe he’s going to be alright. You’ll see, he’ll be back before you know it. Now all we’ve got to do is get busy doing what needs to be done so that when he gets back, he won’t be behind on all the chores,” Dillard stated confidently.

So we worked hard all morning getting chores done. We made time in the afternoon to build the world’s best snowman. Frosty stood tall for weeks before the sun called him home. Dillard stayed with me that night and kept the fire going. The room was toasty, and I slept peacefully.

What changed? Nothing! I had two people visit me since the news of my uncle’s fall. One brought me food. The other brought me hope. My auntie came back home the next day and told me that Uncle would be in the hospital for a while longer, but would be back home before too long. He said to tell his little man to keep up with the chores as best as I could, so he would not be too far behind when he came home.

Bless your heart, Dillard! I sure know lots of folks who could use you today.

25 Vol. 3, Issue 1

COMPETENT PERSON CONTINuED FROM PAGE 13

OSHA is very specific about the responsibilities of the Competent Person. Those responsibilities include:

authority to stop work1. inspections of trenches or 2. excavationstesting for hazardous atmospheres 3. when such atmospheres exist or could be reasonably expected to existinspection of materials or equipment 4. if damaged, to determine if usablemonitoring of water removal 5. equipment and operationsvisual and manual tests of the soil6.

Inspections are particularly important. The Competent Person needs to inspect daily for indications of possible cave-ins, failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres and other hazardous conditions. The inspections need to be conducted prior to the start of work, and also as needed throughout the shift, after rainstorms and after other potential hazard-increasing events.

A number of trade associations and private consultants offer Competent Person training, with classes lasting about eight hours. OSHA and most safety professionals also encourage periodic “refresher” training.

This is an important topic. When cave-ins occur, the result is usually one or more deaths or very serious injuries. To do trenching and excavation work safely, contractors and utilities need a person on site who has the knowledge of how to do the work safely, who regularly inspects the trenches or excavations and who has the authority to take immediate action to insure the safety of all workers.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of four articles that discuss specific steps which contractors and utilities can take to help insure the safety of their personnel. Coming in the next issue – OSHA’s General Requirements.

David V. Dow is co-founder and Vice-President of TrenchSafety and Supply, Inc. Learn more about his company at www.trenchsafety.com.

National Safe Digging Month was designated to remind Mississippi residents that our land is made up of a complex underground

infrastructure of pipelines, wires and cables. Striking an underground utility line while digging can cause harm to you or those around you,

disrupt service to an entire neighborhood and potentially result in�nes and repair costs.

protecting Mississippi’s vital �ow...one call at a time

sudoku puzzle

Fill in the grid with the numbers 1 through 9 so every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 without repeating

any of the numbers. Solution is on page 22.

There are some things you can live without knowing and some you can’t.

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If you say that you’re dying to get a good night’s sleep, you could mean that literally. You can go without eating for weeks without succumbing, but eleven days is tops for going without sleep. After eleven days, you’ll be asleep – forever.

One-fourth of the world’s population lives on less than $200 a year. Ninety million people survive on less than $75 a year.

Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace. In Scotland, a new game was

invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

Christmas was once illegal in England.

Mailing an entire building has been illegal in the U.S. since 1916 when a man mailed a 40,000-ton brick house across Utah to avoid high freight rates.

Iowa has more independent telephone companies than any other state.

Mr. Peanut was invented in 1916 by a Suffolk, Virginia schoolchild who won $5 in a design contest sponsored by Planters Peanuts.

Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the first American to have plumbing installed in his house, in 1840.

The only food that does not spoil is honey.

Mississippi 811 is a shareholder in Progressive Partnering, Inc (P2). P2 incorporated in

1997. The Executive Directors of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas determined to form the corporation following more than a year of talks centered on developing call center software that focused on performance and that directly addressed member needs.

These directors were interested in mapping before mapping was cool in the One-Call industry. They knew that when their call centers issued tickets based on accurate land base maps, the number of locate requests received by their members would be reduced. Fewer tickets received meant savings to the members of these organizations.

Additionally, they knew that the more accurate ticket would minimize the chance of damages to the underground facilities they and their boards were committed to protect.

The result was GeoCall, the call center management software that Mississippi 811 implemented in May of 2000. Currently six other states utilize the software.

In addition to the world class call center software, a partnership was formed that has led to the development of other GeoCall extensions and modules. Member Service Area Maintenance (MSAM) is familiar to many in Mississippi charged with keeping their utility service area current.

Two other modules became available to users and members of Mississippi 811 this year. KorWeb (look for related story in this issue), a web-based ticket management software application, is available to all members at no cost. E-locate request is the new online way to submit a locate request in Mississippi. Registration is quick and easy. Check it out on the new website at www.ms1call.org.

The P2 board and partners diligently look for innovative ways to hold costs in check. Mississippi 811 members have been the beneficiaries of the Mississippi 811 Board’s willingness to step outside of the box more than 10 years ago.

A pioneer is defined as a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought, activity, method or technical development. Given that definition, Sam Johnson, Mississippi 811; Bill Turner, Tennessee One-Call; Dale Enoch, Arkansas One-Call; Lee Marrs, DIG TESS and their respective boards are pioneers by default. All they were trying to do was make their homes a safer place to live and work while minimizing disruptions to utility services and holding costs down for their members.

Thank you for your vision and leadership! Job well done!

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Progressive Partnering

27 Vol. 3, Issue 1

28 Vol. 3, Issue 1

by Jerry Wilson

Jerry Wilson is a partner with the ACTS team. He has personally worked with over 4,900 companies in increasing sales and enhancing leader-ship skills. He can be contacted at: jerry@aligningchange.com.

A man lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing, so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes, so he had no newspaper. But he sold good hot dogs.

He put up a sign on the highway, telling how good they were. He stood by the side of the road and cried, “Buy a hot dog, mister.” And people bought.

He increased his meat and bun orders, and he bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade. He got his son home from college to help him. But then something happened.

His son said, “Father, haven’t you been listening to the radio? There’s a big depression on. The international situation is terrible and the domestic situation is even worse.”

Whereupon the father thought, “Well, my son has been to college. He listens to the radio and reads the papers, so he ought to know.”

So, the father cut down on the bun order, took down his advertising signs and he no longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell his hot dogs.

His hot dog sales fell almost over night. “You were right, Son,” the father said to the boy. “We are certainly in the middle of a great depression.”

He sold hot dogs

I’m reminded of this story when I observe today’s news media. It seems there is a promotional effort to convince us to batten down

the hatches and hope for survival. Recently a national reporter said “Master Charge reported that there was a 5.5 – 8% drop in December sales. The decline in gasoline prices was attributed to 50% of the decline.” When I did the math on that, I determined that there had actually been a 2.25- 4% sales reduction. The reporter called it a dramatic loss in business. I wondered if that had been an increase would the media have called it dramatic? I doubt it. Another announcement based on a public opinion poll was “93% of the public is anticipating a bad economy for 2009.” My reaction was, Of course, we’ve been bombarded with the media telling us it was going to be bad for the past 6 months.

I’m not suggesting that we stick our heads in the sand like an ostrich. My purpose is to check our own thinking and be aware of the impact others can have on us. There are two things that impact our attitudes…..people and situations. Attitudes impact our actions. Actions impact our results.

My good friend, Bob has Lou Gehrig’s disease. Over the past 5 years I’ve watched him decline from an active guy to his current condition. He is bedridden with the ability to only move his head. Yet, he’s so amazing and inspirational to visit. His mood is typically good, better than many of the healthy people I encounter. When questioning him once he replied “It is what it is. So I deal with it.” I marvel at his ability to work at keeping his mind active by planning projects that he has others implement. He consciously works at maintaining his spirit. Bob is an awesome reminder for me that we don’t have to allow situations to control us. It is a choice we make.

People affect us. A few months ago I stopped in to see Bob and offered the typical “How are you?” “I’m frustrated,” he responded! He related a situation with an individual who had been very uncooperative. A few minutes later we were laughing! Again it was about making a choice. He simply decided not to allow them to control his day. Just as Bob has a positive impact on me, others often have a negative impact on us.

My point is, challenging times are when it’s most important to do the things that enable us to succeed in a good economy. William James, the philosopher said, “We become what we think about.” Tough times are often the most memorable because we were forced to rise to a challenge and won. The human spirit loves to win. There will always to be opportunities for those that look for and act on them. We make choices, consciously or unconsciously, about whom we spend time with. Attitudes are contagious, let’s choose those worth catching! There are ten - two letter words that apply today. “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Our actions will be a key factor in making 2009 a great year.

Buy a hot dog, Mister! That creates ZING!

29 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Mississippi 811

Your damage prevention resource center

Recently at the Damage Prevention Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Acting Chairman of the National

Transportation Safety Board, Mark V. Rosenker, made a presentation in which he stated, “The PIPES Act of 2006, as passed by the United States Congress, now gives the Department of Transportation strong enforcement authority on this issue. The Act states that a person engaged in excavation who damages a pipeline facility must report the damage to the owner or operator of the facility, and if the damage results in a release, must promptly call the 911 emergency telephone number.”

He went on to say, “When promotion of safe practices doesn’t work, the federal government and states must be ready to enforce safety requirements. The Department of Transportation must let it be known that failing to report excavation damage to a pipeline will not be tolerated, and it must take strong action to stop this unsafe practice.”

Mr. Rosenker asked the question, “So how can you help?” His answer:

Commit to establishing and following safe practices.• Convince your organization’s leadership that safe practices and • procedures must always be your first priority.If you are the leader of your organization, you must communicate to all of • your employees that following safe practices is your priority.If you are with a pipeline safety oversight agency, you must continuously • examine how you can motivate the industry to establish and follow effective excavation damage prevention programs.

Obviously, the way to avoid the fear of enforcement is to pursue the promotion of safe practices. However, it is equally clear that complex issues such as protecting underground facilities cannot be resolved in a vacuum or with the passage of a single piece of legislation.

While the stakeholder groups have been identified, the individual stakeholders have not recognized themselves as stakeholders. Creating an environment that invites the opposing view to the table is critical to establishing the stronger and more effective damage prevention program we all want.

I’m confident that we are trying to stop excavation damage, not the excavator; improperly located lines, not the locator.

Talking to stakeholders across the country leads me to conclude that many valid perspectives are silent and for a variety of reasons. Fear of penalty, fear of losing a contract, believing nobody really wants to hear my perspective or a simple thing like holding meetings in places that make stakeholders uncomfortable can all contribute to the silent stakeholder remaining silent. Creating an environment that allows for all stakeholders to openly discuss the issues from their perspective is not for the weak or faint of heart. It takes courage, patience and commitment to real solutions.

The truth is we likely aren’t going to hear new ideas until we’ve determined how to get this important group to the table. Because of our industry’s history of hammering and finger pointing, it won’t be easy. I don’t even know if it’s possible, but I do know that it’s necessary for us to succeed.

Recently while interviewing an excavator for a future story, I sensed frustration as he explained lack of cooperation from his perspective. He reminded me of the great scene in Alice in Wonderland. “There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.” The Queen replied, “I dare say you haven’t had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

We’ll begin to develop an effective damage prevention program almost as quickly as we begin to believe in each other enough to ask for help.

Mr. Rosenker gave us the answer to his question, “So how can you help?” What is your response? Perhaps the better question is: when will we start?

30 Vol. 3, Issue 1

Mississippi Natural Gas Association21 Annual Trade Show

MNGA operates exclusively to promote development of the

Mississippi natural gas industry.

Our MissionThe purposes of MNGA are to

sponsor public education, public relations programs and

marketing programs which will enhance the distribution and use

of natural gas.

www.mnga.org

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Natural Gas Day8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Mississippi State CapitolJackson, Mississippi

BanCorpSouth Center375 East MainTupelo, MS

March 4-5, 2009

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for registration andhotel information go to:

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31 Vol. 3, Issue 1

A window of opportunity

Mississippi 811 and the Mississippi Public Service Commission,in conjunction with the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee,

are hosting meetings across the state and invite you to join them in sharing ideas for making Mississippi a safer place to live and work.

The meeting is for elected officials, excavators, utility personnel, utility locators and anyone involved or interested in protecting Mississippi

by protecting underground facilities.

Meeting time: 10:00 AMLunch will be provided at 11:30 AM

Call 601.961.5485 or email mdpc@msdamageprevention.comand reserve your seat at the window of opportunity nearest you.

Seating is limited, make your reservation today!

Meeting locations and dates:April 21, 2009

Holiday Inn210 Power Drive

Batesville, MS

April 23, 2009Harvey’s

424 South GlosterTupelo, MS

May 14, 2009(location to be determined)

Meridian, MSMississippi Public Service Commission

You have a window of opportunity to join the MDPC to help create a stronger and more effective damage prevention program in Mississippi.

32 Vol. 3, Issue 1

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