One-Call Centers

Abstract

This chapter provides specific details about the one-call process, including how laws govern it, how enforcement and disputes are managed, and the various types of outreach that are performed by one-call centers. The state of North Carolina’s Prevention Act is examined with respect to its emphasis on shared responsibility and the resulting absence of liability on the part of construction establishments to nonresponding or improperly responding operators for damages to operators’ facilities. Focus is also given to the indispensability of fair and balanced enforcement to an effective damage prevention program, as well as the US safety regulation requiring pipeline operators to educate property owners, excavators, and first responders in the communities in which their facilities are located.