Methods and apparatus for facilitating quality assessment of locate and marking operations to detect and mark underground utilities in advance of excavation activities

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation. Ticket information and a locate manifest are received regarding the operation as performed by a technician. One or more electronic indications of the quality assessment are processed based on the locate manifest, the ticket information, and at least one of: a time required to complete the locate and marking operation; a time at which the locate and marking operation was performed; a cost of the locate and marking operation; one or more conditions associated with a dig area in which the operation was performed; a number of facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information; a discrepancy between the facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information, but not indicated as marked in the locate manifest; and an efficiency with which the technician performed the locate and marking operation.

1 . An apparatus for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation performed by a first locate technician, the locate and marking operation comprising identifying a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:
 a communication interface;   a memory to store processor-executable instructions;   at least one user interface device including at least one display device; and   a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the at least one user interface device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit:   A) controls the communication interface to electronically receive a locate request ticket including ticket information regarding at least one task to be performed by the first locate technician during the locate and marking operation,   wherein the at least one task includes physically marking, by the first locate technician at the dig area, the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility using at least one marking device to dispense a marking material and/or a marking object so as to form at least one locate mark;   B) controls the communication interface to receive a locate manifest including marking data resulting from performance of the at least one task including physically marking the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility using the at least one marking device to dispense the marking material and/or the marking object during the locate and marking operation, the marking data including at least one digital image associated with the dig area;   C) controls the at least one display device to electronically display:
 i) the ticket information from the locate request ticket regarding the at least one task to be performed by the locate technician, wherein the electronically displayed ticket information includes at least one utility member code corresponding to at least one utility expected to be present in the dig area of proposed excavation; and 
 ii) the marking data resulting from the performance by the first locate technician of the at least one task including physically marking the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility; and 
   D) electronically receives, via the at least one user interface device, at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation, wherein the at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment is based at least in part on a comparison of at least the electronically displayed ticket information including the at least one utility member code, and the electronically displayed marking data.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit further maintains a numerical count of satisfactory locate and marking operations, unsatisfactory locate and marking operations, and locate and marking operations requiring coaching based on D). 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit further controls the communication interface in B) to receive the locate manifest via email. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ticket information further comprises at least one of:
 a ticket number; and   an address or other location information regarding the dig area.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one digital image included in the locate manifest comprises at least one of:
 a first photograph that identifies a location of the dig area;   a second photograph of a paper manifest or a log of the ticket, the dig area, and/or the at least one locate mark; and   a third photograph of the dig area showing the at least one locate mark placed in the dig area.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the first photograph includes a street number on a mailbox or on a building, or a serial number on a telephone pole. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one digital image includes a marked-up image of a geographic area surrounding the dig area, the marked-up image including at least one digital representation of the at least one locate mark electronically overlaid thereon. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one digital image comprises GPS data associated with the dig area. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the locate manifest further comprises at least one of:
 a time, date and/or duration of the locate and marking operation;   a ticket number for the ticket associated with the locate manifest;   an address or other location information regarding the dig area;   at least one first identifier for a facility owner of the at least one underground facility;   at least one second identifier relating to work performed during the locate and marking operation;   a third identifier for a party requesting the locate and marking operation;   a fourth identifier for the first locate technician performing the locate and marking operation;   a signature of the first locate technician;   a fifth identifier for a crew to which the first locate technician belongs;   at least one sixth identifier for one or more types of locate markings used for the locate and marking operation; and   one or more notes made by the first locate technician.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electronically displayed marking data comprises the at least one digital image and a work performed text display field; and   the electronically displayed ticket information includes a ticket manifest text display field.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit further controls the at least one display device to display at least one icon representing the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one icon includes:
 an approved icon representing a satisfactory locate and marking operation;   a QC icon representing an unsatisfactory locate and marking operation; and   a coach icon representing that the first locate technician requires coaching.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one user input device, wherein the processing unit acquires a selection, via the at least one user input device, of one of the approved icon, the QC icon, and the coach icon so as to receive the at least one electronic indication. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit associates the locate manifest with the ticket information and controls the memory to store the ticket information, the associated locate manifest and the at least one electronic indication so as to archive an electronic record of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processing unit, perform a method for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation performed by a first locate technician, the locate and marking operation comprising identifying a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:
 A) electronically receiving, via a communication interface, a locate request ticket including ticket information regarding at least one task to be performed by the first locate technician during the locate and marking operation   wherein the at least one task includes physically marking, by the first locate technician at the dig area, the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility using at least one marking device to dispense a marking material and/or a marking object so as to form at least one locate mark;   B) electronically receiving, via the communication interface, a locate manifest including marking data resulting from performance of the at least one task including physically marking the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility using the at least one marking device to dispense the marking material and/or the marking object during the locate and marking operation, the marking data including at least one digital image associated with the dig area;   C) electronically displaying, via at least one display device communicatively coupled to the communication interface:
 i) the ticket information from the locate request ticket regarding the at least one task to be performed by the locate technician, wherein the electronically displayed ticket information includes at least one utility member code corresponding to at least one utility expected to be present in the dig area of proposed excavation; and 
 ii) the marking data resulting from the performance by the locate technician of the at least one task; and 
   D) electronically receiving, via at least one user interface device communicatively coupled to the at least one display device, at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation, wherein the at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment is based at least in part on a comparison of at least the electronically displayed ticket information including the at least one utility member code, and the electronically displayed marking data.   
     
     
         18 . A computer-facilitated method for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation performed by a first locate technician, the locate and marking operation comprising identifying a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:
 A) electronically receiving, via a communication interface, a locate request ticket including ticket information regarding at least one task to be performed by the first locate technician during the locate and marking operation   wherein the at least one task includes physically marking, by the first locate technician at the dig area, the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility using at least one marking device to dispense a marking material and/or a marking object so as to form at least one locate mark;   B) electronically receiving, via the communication interface, a locate manifest including marking data resulting from performance of the at least one task including physically marking the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility using the at least one marking device to dispense the marking material and/or the marking object during the locate and marking operation, the marking data including at least one digital image associated with the dig area;   C) electronically displaying, via at least one display device communicatively coupled to the communication interface:
 i) the ticket information from the locate request ticket regarding the at least one task to be performed by the locate technician, wherein the electronically displayed ticket information includes at least one utility member code corresponding to at least one utility expected to be present in the dig area of proposed excavation; and 
 ii) the marking data resulting from the performance by the locate technician of the at least one task; and 
   D) electronically receiving, via at least one user interface device communicatively coupled to the at least one display device, at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation, wherein the at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment is based at least in part on a comparison of at least the electronically displayed ticket information including the at least one utility member code, and the electronically displayed marking data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising electronically maintaining a numerical count of satisfactory locate and marking operations, unsatisfactory locate and marking operations, and locate and marking operations requiring coaching based on D). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein D) is completed within one day of the first locate technician performing the locate and marking operation. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein B) comprises electronically receiving the locate manifest via email.