From the Desk of Chris Stovall 
 
In our first newsletter since becoming president of Texas811, I want to say thank you to our members. Thanks for your commitment to damage prevention and public safety. Damage prevention is a shared responsibility, and together we keep Texas safe. We could not do what we do every day if not for the time and money you invest in our mission. You show up at damage prevention councils throughout the state, serve on our board of directors, and actively participate in outreach and public awareness. It is a privilege to work with a membership that truly cares about damage prevention and public safety. We are constantly working to make Texas811 an organization our members can be proud of. With your help, prospects for 2018 are bright. We look forward to discussing more with you in our next edition. Until then, thank you for all you do. 
 

Sincerely,

Chris Stovall
President & CEO
Texas811
In This Issue

This is the first issue of the new Texas811 Member Newsletter.  We'll include content relevant to our members; news you can use.  Expect to see an issue in your inbox once a quarter.  Feel free to pass this to your co-workers.  If they're interested, ask them to click below to be added to the list.
Are Your Maps Up-to-Date?
Know the importance of keeping your facility database current.

Updating your service areas is as important as registering your lines with Texas811. Whether new lines are being installed, assets are being bought or lines are becoming inactive, having an accurate database is vital to damage prevention and protecting your underground infrastructure. At Texas811, we believe in providing our members with options that best fit their needs.

Are your CONTRACTS Protecting your Underground Facilities?

We're all looking for everything we can do to protect our underground facilities. Are your contracts doing all they can?

About 20% of the damages in Texas result from no one requesting a one-call notification before excavating. If your contracts don't require your subcontractors to contact 811 before beginning work, they should.

Adding this requirement for all subcontractors may ensure that your subcontractors call before they dig and help reduce the damages caused by failing to request a one-call notification. Who knew that adding a few words to your contracts could make such a big difference?

Texas811. We're about helping our members identify all of the ways to protect your underground facilities - even the ones often overlooked.

2018 Holiday Schedule

We have added days to the 2018 Holiday Schedule.
We will not count the dates listed here when calculating the 48-hours for Start Date/Time.
If you have any questions regarding this please email info@texas811.org.
Upcoming Events

 

Find out how the Texas811 and KorTerra partnership exclusively benefits you.  

Hurricane Harvey Recovery

In terms of overall damage, Hurricane Harvey could rank among the costliest storms to hit the country. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 cost $118 billion, and Sandy in 2012 cost $73 billion.
 
Last month, Moody's - and essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit ratings and research - said total losses from Hurricane Harvey will come in between $45 billion and $65 billion, with overall U.S. economic losses between $6 billion and $10 billion.
 
Some of that damage belongs to Texas811 members - and we're counting on you to lead the way to a safe recovery.
 
A call to 811 prior to excavation-related recovery work will greatly reduce the risk of damage to critical infrastructure and ensure the safety of those working to rebuild. Our center is equipped to handle emergency locate requests, which in many cases will expedite the process.
 
We have received reports of major transmission lines being cut by well meaning response teams hoping to help the recovery effort - but they didn't call 811 first.
 
We depend on you, our members in the field, to help spread the 811 message. Please make sure your contractors and subcontractors know and understand the use of 811 before digging and follow safe practices to help prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages.  Remind them that the number one cause of pipeline accidents in Texas is failure to call 811 so that underground facilities can be marked before digging or excavating - and it's not just backhoes. Nearly 25 percent of pipeline damage is due to digging with hand tools, picks, or shovels.
In a nutshell, don't cause damage to repair damage!