Safety for the Infrastructure Geologist - Expecting the Unexpected
George H. Davis, CPG-10951, R.G.
One of the most important responsibilities in any job is the constant unrelenting pursuit of a safe work environment by all employees. This is especially true for geologists, as it reflects upon our professionalism and commitment to the workplace and the work we do. Safe work conditions lead to increased work productivity by reducing the incidence of lost- time accidents and improving employee morale, and may lead to decreased insurance rates. The most important result of all: each and every employee returns home safely at the end of the day to families and children. Ethical behavior on the part of the geologist demands that safety be considered as an element of each and every job.
Safety needs vary by profession, but for geologists there is a wide range of subfields requiring separate considerations for all of the potential hazards present and how to mitigate those hazards. Work practices may change to address hazards and decrease their incidence. Some conditions by their very nature may not change (for instance, the propensity for loose rock to fall from the top of a quarry wall or to roll down a slope). When these events occur they are unexpected, and only through diligent preparation and study may unexpected hazards be sufficiently understood to prevent injury or fatality. Lack of understanding may increase the likelihood of incident occur- rence. For instance, if a contractor removes the toe of a slope in a slide-prone area, that contractor is increasing the likelihood of a future mass movement, and may also be increasing the potential amount of damage that can occur. It is the respon- sibility of the geologist to seek and promote ‘best practices’ for damage prevention and minimize loss wherever possible.
Invisible unexpected hazards are the most difficult to pre- vent, though it is possible in almost all cases to prevent them from occurring. One subset of engineering geology where those incidents are present is in the field of infrastructure geology.
Infrastructure Geology and its Inherent Hazards.
What is ‘infrastructure geology’? Simply put, it’s those geological practices and endeavors which facilitate the civil construction of local, regional, and national infrastructure. A well-developed infrastructure precedes all other geological activities with transportation facilities and above- and below- ground utilities. According to
Wikipedia.org:
“Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society of enter- prise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function. It can be generally defined as the set of inter- connected structural elements that provide framework supporting an entire structure of development. It is an important term for judging a country or region’s develop-
ment. The term typically refers to the technical structures that support a society, such as roads, bridges, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunications, and so forth, and can be defined as “the physical components of interre- lated systems providing commodities and services essential to enable, sustain, or enhance societal living conditions.
Infrastructure geology in this contextual framework refers to the study and practice of geological principles and practices which support the technical structures that support society. Conducting geologic investigation in proximity to infrastruc- ture is inherently dangerous, with exposure to traffic and above- or below-ground utilities, and may be hazardous for other reasons as well. Most geologists do not realize that the primary defense to these hazards is knowledge of the likelihood of their occurrence. Identifying potential hazards if you know they may occur is relatively straightforward. As geologists, it’s essential to maintain professionalism and accept the responsi- bilities of hazard identification to earn the respect of those who work for you and develop an atmosphere of trust on the job.
Underground Utilities
At any time an excavation is conducted in the United States, the excavator or their designated representative (or a property owner if that property owner is doing an excavation on their property) is required by law to call the statewide one-call service. Anywhere in the United States, that one call service may be reached by dialing ‘811’. You should know and be ready to report the exact location of where you’re planning on digging. This call should be made by the excavator; it is their responsibility to insure that all utilities are located and cleared prior to excavation taking place.
ANY geologist who engages in any kind of digging or subsur- face exploration activities, especially engineering geologists, should know the basics of one-call. Simply put, “Call before you dig.” The unknown and unexpected underground utilities out there can ruin your day. If you don’t call, your likelihood of hitting and severing an underground line increases dramati- cally. Gas lines when struck or even scratched (even a glancing strike by an auger) can weaken the pipe enough for a rupture to occur, and have the potential for major disaster. In 2004 (the year for which the most current pipeline statistics were available (Gas Institute), the majority of pipeline incidents in the US were caused by digging around or near an existing pipeline. 95 out of 288 reportable ‘incidents’ were caused by excavation damage. That is nearly a third of ALL the report- able incidents for that year. The ten-year statistics are even worse (See Figure 1), and gas or petroleum lines/pipelines are but one of the myriad of underground facilities that you can hit and damage with poor planning.
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