This presentation provides an overview of Florida's low impact marking requirements for excavators and facility owners. The key points are: 1) Effective October 2010, excavators and facility owners must follow low impact marking practices outlined in Florida law to reduce excessive locate marks, especially in decorative areas. 2) Locate tickets should only cover portions of work sites where excavation will occur within 30 days. Facility owners can now ask excavators to pre-mark work sites if not clearly described. 3) Acceptable low impact marking products include flags, stakes, temporary paint, or other industry practices. 4) Benefits include pinpointing excavation areas, less time locating for all parties, and eliminating

1. Low Impact Marking
An education program by
Sunshine 811

2. This presentation contains animations on some
slides. Please advance to the next slide after you
see the orange arrow in the lower right corner.

3. Effective October 1, 2010
Excavators and members will be required to
follow low impact marking requirements
outlined in the Underground Facility Damage
Prevention and Safety Act, Chapter
556, Florida Statutes.

4. Why Low Impact Marking?
Many of Florida’s cities and counties were
getting numerous complaints about the
amount of locate marks on the ground –
especially when placed over pavers and in
other decorative areas.

5. Why Low Impact Marking?
Sunshine 811 developed common sense
low-impact marking practices based on
input from Florida’s damage prevention
stakeholders.

6. Let’s dig in to those new requirements

7. Locate tickets should cover only those
portions of a work site where excavation or
demolition will occur within 30 calendar
days of the date the ticket is requested.

8. Let’s look at an example

9. Start
This job needs 4 locate tickets.
This project involves
Request them all at once IFthe
Each X represents where you
Mile 1 replacing power poles on a
will complete work within 30
power poles will be placed.
4-mile stretch of road.
days.
Mile 4
Mile 3
Mile 2

10. The new legislation eliminates the 500’
requirement for pre-marking.
Under the old law, premarking would not be required because
the area is greater than 500 feet. Under the new law, you
must be able to give a clear locate description or reach some
other mutual agreement with the member, when the locate is
complicated. If not, a member may ask you to premark the
location of the proposed poles, thus delaying your start date.

11. With this change, a locator can ask an
excavator to premark before locating
your work site.

12. Start
So, the work site
Mile 1
could look like this.
Mile 4
Mile 3
Mile 2

13. Now, the 30 day ticket life is about to
expire…

14. …and there are still poles to be placed.
What should you do?
Request a new ticket.
Reference the old ticket number.
Eliminate the areas where
digging is complete.

15. Let’s take a look at how to narrow the
scope of a locate ticket

16. So that the locate ticket’s dig site
Your original locate ticket covered the
Your new ticket must eliminate the
entire mile and included four poles.
completed areathe first work toand
You finished and include only the
properties, locate description place
remarks8reflect thearea. space.
unfinished new
power poles.
Mile 1
Mile 2

17. Acceptable marking products to identify
underground facilities or premark a work site:
 Flags
 Stakes
 Temporary, non-permanent paint
 Other industry accepted low-impact marking
practices

18. Flags or stakes made of biodegradable
material could further goals of
low-impact marking but such products
are not required by s.556.114, F.S

19. Benefits of Low-Impact Marking
Less of this

20. Benefits of Low-Impact Marking
Pinpoints the exact area of excavation.
Locator spends less time locating and can
move on to the next job more quickly.

21. Benefits of Low-Impact Marking
Eliminates any
misunderstanding
of the written
locate description
on the locate
ticket.

22. Check points to remember!

23. When renewing locate tickets, change the
Dig Site Properties, Locate Description, and
Remarks fields so ticket covers only the
unfinished excavation.
*Remind your office staff too.

24. When a job is complete, have office staff
stop renewing the ticket.

25. Plan ahead and premark (white line)
whenever possible, or meet the locator at
your work site. Your wait time will be longer
if the locator asks you to premark.

26. Failure to follow low-impact marking
requirements is a violation of Chapter
556, F.S. An officer can issue a $500 citation.

27. One last thing

28. Chapter 556, F.S., prohibits cities and
counties from adopting ordinances that
conflict with this law.

29. Specifically they cannot require:
 Members to get permits before locating is
done.
 Pre-marking or marking.
 Specific paint types.
 Marks removal.

30. If you encounter any of these, please
contact a Sunshine 811 damage prevention
liaison and they can provide additional
education to the city or county.
Contact information: sunshine811.com

31. Thank you for your participation in this
education program!