Job Hazard Analysis · Excavation & Sitework

Job Hazard Analysis: Utility locating and potholing

Locating buried utilities with an electromagnetic locator and exposing them by vacuum excavation (hydro-vac or air-vac) and hand digging to verify depth and location before excavation. Work may be in roadways, sidewalks, yards, or active job sites, near gas, electric, water, sewer, and telecom lines.

Published 2026-10-23

A general example for this task. Your JHA should reflect your crew, equipment and site — review it with a competent person before work starts.

Steps, hazards and controls

Step	Hazard	Risk	Controls
1. Confirm the 811 ticket and review marks and plans	Digging on an unmarked, mismarked, or expired ticket area	High	Verify the 811 ticket is active and every utility on the list has responded before any digging. Walk the site with the paint marks, as-builts, and ticket; look for meters, risers, valve boxes, and pedestals that show unmarked lines. If marks are missing or don't match what you see, stop and call 811 for a re-mark. Hold a tailgate briefing on which lines are present, especially gas and electric.
2. Set up the work zone and traffic control	Workers struck by passing traffic	High	Set cones, signs, and barricades per the traffic control plan before anyone steps into the road. Use a trained flagger with a STOP/SLOW paddle when traffic must be controlled. Park the vac truck to shield the work area and turn on the beacon lights. Wear a Class 2 or 3 high-visibility vest at all times.
2. Set up the work zone and traffic control	Vac truck backing over a worker	High	Use a spotter whenever the truck backs up; the driver stops if the spotter is out of sight. Check that the backup alarm works before the shift.
3. Sweep the area with the locator and mark the lines	Shock when clamping or connecting the transmitter to a line or meter	Medium	Connect the transmitter only to approved access points; never open electric meters or panels. Use the inductive clamp instead of a direct hookup on lines that may be energized. Wear insulated gloves when handling leads near electrical equipment.
3. Sweep the area with the locator and mark the lines	Slips and trips on uneven ground, curbs, and holes while watching the locator	Low	Stop walking to read the screen; look at the ground before each step. Wear work boots with good tread.
4. Saw-cut or core the pavement at the pothole location	Silica dust from cutting concrete or asphalt	High	Use a core drill or saw with water feed running the whole cut. Stand upwind and keep other workers away from the slurry mist. Wear a respirator if the water system fails or the cut runs longer than the exposure control plan allows.
	Saw blade kickback and cuts	Medium	Check the blade guard and blade condition before starting. Keep both hands on the saw and stand to the side of the blade.
	Loud noise from the saw	Medium	Wear earplugs or earmuffs while cutting.
5. Pothole with the vacuum excavator and hand tools to expose the utility	Striking a gas or electric line, causing fire, explosion, or electrocution	High	Use vacuum excavation inside the tolerance zone; no backhoe or mini-ex within 18-24 in of the marks. Keep the hydro-vac water pressure at the lowest setting that works and keep the wand moving. Use a blunt-tip shovel or probe gently when hand digging; never use a pick or digging bar near the line. Keep a fire extinguisher at the truck and no smoking at the hole.
	Injection or cuts from the high-pressure water wand	Medium	Never point the wand at anyone; keep hands and feet out of the spray. Release pressure before changing tips or clearing clogs. Wear a face shield over safety glasses and waterproof gloves.
	Suction hose catching hands or clothing	Medium	Keep hands off the hose opening and use the hose handles. Know where the emergency stop is and shut down before clearing a blockage.
	Noise from the vac truck blower	Medium	Wear hearing protection when the vacuum is running.
6. Verify, measure, and record the utility	Damaging the coating or line while cleaning it off	Medium	Clean around the line with low pressure or by hand; don't stand on or pry on the pipe. Report any nick, dent, or coating damage to the utility owner before backfilling.
6. Verify, measure, and record the utility	Falling into or tripping on the open pothole	Medium	Cover or barricade the pothole whenever no one is working at it. Measure from outside the hole; never climb into a pothole.
7. Backfill, restore the surface, and clean up	Strains from shoveling backfill and lifting plate covers	Medium	Use the vac truck or a skid steer to place backfill where possible. Two-person lift for steel plates and covers; lift with your legs.
	Vibration and noise from the plate compactor or jumping jack	Low	Rotate operators and wear hearing protection.
	Slips on slurry and mud	Low	Wash slurry off the pavement and dump the tank only at an approved disposal site. Pick up cones last, working against traffic from behind the truck.

Required PPE

Hard hat — ANSI Z89.1, worn at all times on site.
High-visibility vest — Class 2 minimum; Class 3 at night or on high-speed roads.
Safety glasses — ANSI Z87.1 at all times.
Face shield — Over safety glasses when running the hydro-vac wand or saw.
Hearing protection — Earplugs or earmuffs when the vac truck, saw, or compactor is running.
Gloves — Waterproof gloves for hydro-vac work; insulated gloves when hooking up the locator near electrical equipment.
Steel-toe boots — Waterproof, slip-resistant soles.
Respirator — N95 or better when saw-cutting if water dust control is not enough, per the silica plan.

Training

811 and utility marking color code training, including tolerance zone rules.
Locator operation training on the specific model used.
Vacuum excavator operation, including pressure settings and emergency stop.
Flagger training for anyone controlling traffic.
Silica exposure control training for saw-cutting and coring.
Commercial driver's license (CDL) for vac truck drivers when required by the vehicle weight.
Gas leak and line-strike emergency response.

Emergency

If a gas line is hit: shut off all equipment, do not start engines or use phones near the hole, evacuate everyone upwind at least 300 ft, then call 911 and the gas company and give the site address. If a power line is hit: stay clear of the equipment and the person, call 911, and do not touch anyone until the power is confirmed off.

Official sources

29 CFR 1926.651 — Excavations — specific requirements
29 CFR 1926.21 — Safety training and education
29 CFR 1926.201 — Signaling (flaggers)
29 CFR 1926.600 — Motor vehicles and mechanized equipment — equipment
29 CFR 1926.416 — Electrical — general requirements
29 CFR 1926.1153 — Respirable crystalline silica
29 CFR 1926.101 — Hearing protection
29 CFR 1926.28 — Personal protective equipment

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General information, not legal advice. Templates and examples should be reviewed by a competent person before use. HardHat Binder is not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA.