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Preventing Utility Strikes with Hydro Excavation

26 articles on this topic

Utility strikes during excavation cause injuries, service disruptions, environmental damage, and substantial financial losses. Hydro excavation provides the safest method for working around underground utilities, but proper procedures must still be followed.

Prevention starts with calling 811 before digging, reviewing utility locate marks, and using appropriate excavation techniques near marked utilities. Hydrovac's non-destructive process adds a critical layer of protection compared to mechanical methods.

Our utility safety guides cover strike prevention best practices, proper interpretation of utility marks, safe excavation distances, and procedures when unexpected utilities are encountered during work.

Featured Article

Safety & Compliance

Hydro Excavation Job Site Safety

Job site safety is a top priority in construction, utility, and infrastructure projects. Annual accidents from traditional digging methods cause costly damage, injuries, and fatalities. Hydro excav...

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All Utility Strike Prevention Articles

How to Start a Hydro Excavation Company: The Complete Guide

The hydro excavation market is experiencing significant growth:

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The Benefits and Best Practices of Hydrovacing

Hydrovacing—also called hydro excavation or vacuum excavation—uses "pressurized water and a high-powered vacuum system to safely expose underground infrastructure." This non-destructive method has ...

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Utility Corridor Congestion: Why Hydrovacing Is the Solution

Utility corridor congestion occurs when multiple underground utility lines occupy the same space, limiting room for maintenance or new installations. This challenge is particularly common in urban ...

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Complete List of Educational Content Links from Hydrovac News Learn Page

1. **The History of Hydro Excavation**

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Hydrovac Trenching: The Complete Guide

Hydrovac trenching creates excavations using pressurized water to break apart soil and vacuum systems to remove debris. Typical dimensions include depths of 4–15 feet, widths of 1–4 feet, and varia...

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Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Hydro Excavation Contractor

Selecting an appropriate hydro excavation contractor requires thorough evaluation. The hiring process should assess safety protocols, equipment capabilities, certifications, and cost transparency t...

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The Role of GPS and Digital Mapping in Hydrovacing

Hydrovacing has transformed excavation into a safer, non-destructive alternative to traditional digging. As job sites grow more complex with crowded infrastructure networks, precision and efficienc...

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Hydrovacing Urban Redevelopment Applications

Large-scale urban redevelopment projects breathe new life into aging infrastructure, transforming old industrial sites, downtown cores, and underutilized spaces into modern neighborhoods, transit h...

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Role of Supervisors In Hydrovac Safety

Hydro excavation represents one of the safest and most precise digging methods available, yet job site safety depends on more than advanced equipment alone. Supervisors serve as a critical link bet...

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Who Hires Hydro Excavators - Full Article

Hydro excavation—also called hydrovacing, daylighting, or soft digging—uses high-pressure water and powerful vacuum systems to break up soil and remove it cleanly. This method minimizes risks to un...

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Hydrovac Operator Swamper Roles

Hydro excavation relies on skilled professionals beyond equipment alone. The hydrovac crew—particularly operators and swampers—ensures safe, efficient, and compliant operations.

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Hydro Excavation Environmental Geotechnical Applications

Environmental and geotechnical projects often occur in fragile ecosystems, unstable soils, or contaminated locations. Hydro excavation delivers:

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Hydro Excavation Safety Best Practices

Hydro excavation uses pressurized water and high-powered vacuum to remove soil safely and precisely. While this method outperforms traditional digging techniques, operators must follow strict safet...

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Hydro Excavation Railroad Construction Maintenance

Railroad infrastructure is critical to modern transportation systems, supporting goods, materials, and passenger movement across regions. Building and maintaining railways requires careful attentio...

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OSHA Standards for Hydro Excavation and Excavation Safety

Excavation ranks among construction's most hazardous operations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established strict standards to protect workers. While traditional mechanic...

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Why Contractors Choose Hydrovacing Over Traditional Methods

In construction and utility work, excavation method selection significantly impacts project safety, efficiency, and budget. While traditional techniques like backhoes and hand shoveling remain comm...

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Confined Space vs PRCS: Key Differences and OSHA Requirements

OSHA defines a confined space as an area that:

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Permit Required Confined Space (PRCS) - Article Summary

**Confined Space** per OSHA requires three characteristics:

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Hidden Costs of Traditional Digging Contractors

**Overview**

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The Different Types of Shoring Systems: A Complete Guide to Trench Safety

Shoring serves as a **protective system** in trenching operations that actively **reinforces excavation walls** to prevent soil collapse. It differs from sloping (angled cuts) or shielding (trench ...

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Hydrovac Disaster Recovery: Floods and Hurricanes

After floods, roads, culverts, and drainage systems often fill with mud and sediment. Hydrovacs can:

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How Deep Can You Dig with Hydro Excavation?

Hydro excavation, commonly called hydrovacing or vacuum excavation, uses pressurized water to break up soil combined with a vacuum system for material removal. It's considered one of the safest and...

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Engineering Considerations Hydrovacing Near Foundations

Hydrovac excavation safely exposes underground utilities and infrastructure, but working near building foundations requires special engineering attention to protect structural integrity.

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Hydrovac Technology Deep Excavation Projects

Hydrovac excavation uses "high-pressure water jets" to break up soil and a "vacuum system" to remove the resulting slurry into a debris tank. These systems feature extended boom reach, larger tanks...

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Hydro Excavation Confined Space Protocols

Hydro excavation is recognized as one of the safest digging methods because it minimizes soil disruption, reduces utility strikes, and enables precise excavation. However, when hydro excavation cre...

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