The following notice accompanies and forms part of all quotations supplied by Orbital Underground Service Location (Orbital). By engaging Orbital to undertake works, you acknowledge and accept all conditions as outlined both here and contained in Orbital’s Terms and Conditions (available at orbital.com.au/terms-and-conditions).
Specific Advice on Service Location, CCTV Inspection and Risk Statement:
By utilising various locating technologies and techniques, Orbital has an extensive record of success in accurately locating buried pipes, conduits and cables. The Australian Standard for utility locating [AS 5488.1:2019 Classification of Subsurface Utility Information (SUI)] states that the deviation in accuracy for QL-B service location is, 500mm vertically and 300mm horizontally. Orbital utilises the Australian Standard as part of our policies and procedures but regularly achieves outcomes that are significantly less than this deviation. However, it must be noted that there may be more than one buried service at any location, within in close proximity to each other and/or buried beneath one another.
Due to limitations inherent in the electronic location technology being employed and/or the lack of information regarding underground services in a particular area, some services may remain undetected despite Orbital’s best efforts. As electronic location is the primary method of identifying and marking services, these conform to a Quality Level B (QL-B) survey, as outlined in the Australian Standard. The exact location and depth of services (QL-A) can only be ascertained by non-destructive hand or vacuum excavation, as appropriate (i.e.pot holing).
We take no responsibility for the location of services, except in accordance with the above disclosure. Overall, any excavation around underground services involves a degree of risk. As such, service location is a form of risk management and ultimate responsibility lies with the client having been informed of such risks and choosing to proceed on that basis.
Any reports supplied (additional fee) may be forwarded to a third party, but Orbital takes no responsibility for how the report is utilised by the third parties.
Clients must comply with the Best Practice Guidelines.
Clients are to take all steps necessary to comply with the duty of care statements contained within the asset owners’ correspondence received with Before You Dig request. You must have a copy of the Before You Dig Plans, that are in date, on-site during any work that breaks ground. Some asset owners are not members of Before You Dig and these plans should be requested from these owners directly.
Not only is it a requirement stipulated by some asset owners that services are validated by potholing, but we strongly recommend this is completed before excavating around any services. We do not provide this service, but we can refer a company that can assist.
CCTV Inspection relies on visual classification of defects and as such, is subject to human error in both the detection and classification of said defects. We take all reasonable care in the performance of CCTV inspections but accept no responsibility for undocumented or misclassified defects.
Currency of location work and deliverables
Location work is a survey of conditions detectable at the site on the date the work is carried out. Any report or marking records those conditions as at that date and is not a continuing statement about the site.
Underground services may be installed, altered, relocated, exposed, backfilled or removed after that date, and site conditions affecting detection may change. Orbital has no knowledge of, and accepts no responsibility for, any such change.
Surface markings are temporary. They are provided for the excavation works discussed at the time and degrade with weather, traffic, site activity and time. Markings must not be re-used for later or different works.
A report or marking is provided for the excavation works for which it was commissioned. Where excavation has not commenced within ninety (90) days of the date of the work, or where the works differ in location or extent from those surveyed, a re-locate must be obtained before excavating.
This section describes the nature and extent of the services supplied. It does not limit any right you have under the Australian Consumer Law. Orbital’s full Terms and Conditions of Service govern the provision of all services and prevail to the extent of any inconsistency with this page.