Don't Take Shortcuts: Positive Response Could Save Your Life
Every year, excavators across Florida take the right first step by contacting Sunshine 811 before digging. But too many stop there.
A locate ticket is not permission to dig. It's the start of a process. One critical step stands between you and a potentially dangerous mistake: Positive Response.
Positive Response tells you what happened after your locate ticket was sent to Sunshine 811’s member operators. It answers the questions: Were facilities marked? Are any facilities cleared? Does a utility need more information? Is there something you must do before locates can be completed?
When compared to your dig site daily, positive response makes it easier to see if marks are missing from a utility that left a marked response. A "clear" response may need further investigation when there are meter boxes, pedestals, transformers or overhead-to-underground service connections nearby. Or, another utility may be waiting for a site meeting or additional information before they can complete the locate.
By skipping Positive Response, you’re missing those important details. That's why Florida law has required excavators to verify Positive Response information since 2010.
Before you put a shovel or bucket in the ground:
Verify each utility's response.
Compare the response codes to what you see on-site.
Look for signs of nearby buried facilities.
Investigate when the codes don’t match what you see.
Document the site with photos.
Remember, the positive responses can change. The most current information is available online through the Exactix system, not in an email or printed ticket.
The few minutes it takes to verify Positive Response can prevent utility damage, project delays, costly fines, serious injuries and even deaths.
Check out the videos below to learn how you can access the responses.
Code 2C Requires Gas Notification
Positive response code 2C means your excavation is near a high-priority subsurface installation (HPSI) - or gas facility. Section 556.116, F.S., states excavators must notify the operator of the planned excavation start date and time before beginning excavation. Sunshine 811 recommends that you contact the operator directly and then leave the date and time in Exactix.
IMPORTANT: Last-minute notifications, such as advising that excavation will begin the next morning, may not provide enough time for gas personnel to respond.