subject: Standard Reasons To Hire Wet Utility Contractors [print this page] Hiring wet utility contractors is also necessary when towns upgrade public water systems. Contractors are needed whenever pipes are fitted or repaired at filtration treatment facilities, as well as when precast pump houses and steel tanks are involved.
Finally, contractors are involved with extracting sewer and water pipeline whenever a building is demolished and reestablishing land when construction work is concluded.
As we've discussed there are numerous aspects to wet utility construction. For this reason, contractors undergo a significant amount of training in order to become licensed.
Pipeline construction is a hazardous profession that can lead to workplace injuries or fatalities. There is also risk of environmental contaminants to be released if installed pipes are damaged or broken.
Along with becoming certified and licensed, contractors also acquire specialized education to make certain they abide by regulations set forth by OSHA, HAZMAT, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Thankfully, work-related dangers can be minimized when contractors utilize subsurface utility engineering methods. SUE utilizes a variety of non-invasive geophysical technologies to collect data and create 3D maps of the jobsite.
A few of the more common methods include: surveying equipment, data recording devices, geophysical designating machines, resonant sonics, vacuum excavation locating apparatus, and terrain conductivity meters.
Subsurface utility engineering methods provide contractors with critical facts regarding subterrain pipes and utility systems that are already in place. Being able to obtain specific details about existing underground pipes has drastically reduced workplace injuries which occur from damaged pipes. SUE is also credited with minimizing mishaps that occur when environmental toxins are released.
The first priority for all contractors should be construction safety. Nearly all jobs include digging trenches to either position pipes into the ground or repair installed pipes. Any time trenches are dug, the ground nearby the trenches has to be shored up to minimize risk of cave-ins.
Yet another threat that contractors encounter is exposed utility lines. In addition to employees being hurt or killed due to contact with exposed lines, there is also possibility of flooding, explosions, and release of noxious contaminants if underground pipes are broken during the excavation process.
Wet utility contractors are frequently put in harm's way due to the type of construction equipment required to perform jobs. Heavy equipment is used to dig trenches and place pipes. Laborers can be smashed by machinery or struck by pipe segments when they are being lowered into trenches.
Excavating job sites is full of challenges and obstacles that require meticulous planning, specialized training, and on-going monitoring of the construction project. To reduce risks it is crucial for contractors to conduct pre-job studies to recognize potential hazards. In addition, project managers need to make certain employees are completely trained for their job and in construction safety guidelines.
In addition to workplace hazards, utility pipeline contractors also are challenged by water management issues. This field of construction work often requires laborers to dig trenches underneath the water table. Contractors have to de-water the construction site before utility systems can be installed.
There are several methods that can be applied to eliminate excess water. In most cases, siphons and pumps are used to de-water construction sites. However, when water levels are extreme, contractors have to install cutoff walls or wellpoints.
Installing wellpoints is a high-priced and complex process that can delay work performance. This strategy involves affixing wellpoints to water points that draw out water through a vacuum process. Extracted water is eliminated via a header pipe that utilizes a jet pump to drive water into the ground.
Utility construction is a highly specialized field that presents numerous risks and dangers to workers and the environment. Whenever subsurface pipes need maintenance or new pipeline systems are installed, it is imperative to employ qualified contractors that have a pristine record of construction safety.
Wet utility construction contractors need to be licensed and certified in advance of conducting work on underground pipeline systems. They need to hold a business license, insurance policies, along with acquiring work permits for every job.
Wet utility contractors should be educated in OSHA, HAZMAT, and EPA regulations to minimize risk factors and make certain pipeline supplies and installation processes abide by state and federal guidelines.
