Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 6, March 26, 2024
This section applies whenever failure of or damage to
underground facilities or public infrastructure requires emergency excavation
as defined in Subsection E of Section
62-14-2
NMSA 1978 and excavation shall be promptly commenced, ideally within 24
hours.
A.
Excavators: An
excavator who damages an underground facility while excavating with mechanical
or non-mechanical equipment shall exercise prudence and shall:
(1) stop excavating immediately;
(2) call 911 if appropriate and the operator
of the damaged underground facility and 811 to report the damaged
facility;
(3) secure the site and
direct people and traffic a safe distance away from the site of the
damage;
(4) not leave the scene
until authorized by an emergency responder or the operator of the damaged
underground facility; an excavator may leave the scene without such
authorization only if the excavator has made reasonable, if unsuccessful,
efforts to contact the affected UFOs and has safely secured the site;
(5) not resume work within an unsafe distance
of the damage until authorized by the operator of the damaged underground
facility.
B.
Operators of failed or damaged underground facilities: The
operator of a failed or damaged underground facility shall exercise prudence
and shall:
(1) immediately respond to a report
of damage or failure to its underground facilities and travel to the
site;
(2) prior to traveling to the
site or upon arrival, call the one-call notification system for the excavation
area to request an emergency locate;
(3) make the site safe and get the emergency
situation under control;
(4) locate
its own underground facilities as soon as practical, ideally within two
hours;
(5) begin remedial action to
restore service as soon as practical, ideally within 24 hours; and
(6) obtain a standard excavation locate
ticket for repair work beyond resolution of the emergency situation.
C.
Operators of failed or
damaged public infrastructure: The entity responsible for the failed or
damaged public infrastructure shall:
(1) call
the one-call notification system for the excavation area to request an
emergency locate;
(2) obtain an
excavation locate ticket for repair work beyond resolution of the emergency
situation.
D.
One-call notification system: A one-call notification system shall
upon request:
(1) issue an emergency
excavation notice which shall be valid until the emergency is resolved, or for
48 hours, whichever is longer;
(2)
issue a notice of a reported damage to each affected UFO.
