G-Tel Damage Prevention Technician

G-Tel Damage Prevention Technician – Job Description, Primary Accountabilities and Responsibilities

General: G-Tel’s Mission/Vision Statement:
Relentless in our commitment to protect the integrity of our Customer’s underground infrastructure.

Our Core Values:

• Employee Safety – Sharing a commitment to the relentless pursuit of zero work- related injury and illness
• Environmental Stewardship – Demonstrating a commitment to the environment where our employees live and work
• Quality of Service – Delivering services that meet or exceed customer expectations and contractual obligation in terms of quality workmanship and timeliness of delivery
• Business and Personal Integrity – Conducting ourselves and our business operations in an honest and ethical manner
• Respect for the Individual – Embracing diversity and inclusion, enhanced by openness, sharing, trust, leadership, teamwork and involvement
• Building Rewarding Relationships – Developing and maintaining partnership relationships with our employees, suppliers and customers that focus on the creation of value for all parties
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement – Maintaining a constant commitment to continuous improvement through the innovation and creativity of our employees

1] Position Reports to: Manager, Locates

2] Position Summary
The primary function of this role is to provide safe, accurate and timely delivery of utility locate services to our Customers. G-Tel will provide the Damage Prevention Technician (DPT) with the equipment required to identify the utilities in the area, field mark the buried plant and create a record of the located area and buried facilities identified within. The DPT will be trained to identify and locate buried facilities to prevent damage during excavation or other ground breaking methods. It is intended that the DPT be trained and able to complete complex and priority locates across the management territory. As well the DPT may also be asked to assist the company by working in areas outside of their home territory and their normal working hours. The DPT is an integral component of the damage prevention process and will be trained, coached and mentored during the preliminary ride along and subsequent on the job training sessions that complement the formal technical training curriculum. The DPT will be assigned more complex locate work and other types of related activity once competency has been achieved and assessed.

3] Key Responsibilities – Damage Prevention Technician
3.1 Ensure execution of respective duties are consistent with OH&S standards as defined by the MOL and detailed in the OH&S Manual [Green Book]
3.2 Attend all training that is provided in all areas including but not limited to the following:

•  hydro locate safety
• working remotely
• personal protective equipment
• confined space entry
• working in the road allowance/traffic safety

3.3 Attend monthly Safety team/tailgate meetings where safety performance is reviewed, health and safety awareness is enhanced and any incident or accident reviewed with the intent of eliminating similar occurrences in the future

3.4 Support the Manager in ensuring that all injuries, accidents and/or near misses are reported to the Company through the formal incident/accident reporting process in a timely manner
3.5 Demonstrate personal health and safety practices when working outside of normal business hours ensuring compliance with G-Tel’s employee safety call in procedure

3.6 Support all aspects of G-Tel’s Environmental Policy and Program. This includes but is not limited to monitoring and reducing vehicle idling to reduce the carbon footprint, safely transporting consumables in compliance with ‘minimum quantities’ and returning all spent paint cans and batteries for recycling and/or approved disposal

3.7 Support all efforts to meet or exceed all Customer Quality Assurance objectives i.e. – LAC– 98% audit compliance. This may include the completion of monthly quality audits on work completed by the DPT. If errors are found there may be supplemental employee ride along exercises, performance improvement plans and/or corrective actions

3.8 Participate in damage and/or incident reviews and/or support those undertaken by Damage Prevention/Quality Assurance. The DPT is an integral part in meeting or exceeding the damage prevention objective of <0.13 damages/1000 locates and creating a culture of continuous improvement with respect to damage prevention

3.9 Undertake all work in a safe, effective and efficient manner. While we emphasize safety first followed by quality of workmanship it is equally imperative that work is delivered in a productive manner in order to ensure that G-Tel realizes its financial objectives. Utility locate productivity objectives vary in accordance with work mix, territory and the number of utilities located. However, in general, the productivity objective shall be < 0.35 segments/hour.

3.10 Support the Manager and ensure that the rules of segmentation as defined by all our Customers are adhered to. A review of segmentation will be included in any audit or site visit with all employees. The quality of our utility locate services is measured by our Customer by our damage prevention performance and our billing integrity. Comprehensive audits undertaken in 2011 indicated that there was a lack of comprehension amongst our technical employees as to the rules of engagement governing segmentation. The audits identified both over and under billing of segments – which impacts our Customer relationship and adversely impacts our financial performance. If overbilling is identified by Customer audit, punitive measures are applied in terms of financial penalty. In conjunction, under billing, which was significant in 2011, erodes revenues and adversely impacts our financial performance. Our billing integrity must be beyond reproach and as accurate as possible

3.11 Provide support to management and dispatch in the effective administration of the workload and the identification of any workforce to load challenges that require intervention such that locate completion compliance objectives and service delivery are realized. G-Tel’s current objective is to complete 95% of the locates received within 4 business days and 100% of emergency calls within 2 hours

3.12 Abide by all G-Tel Company policies such that he/she can ensure compliance. Failure to comply with a defined Company policy shall require an incident review and depending on the severity of the transgression may result in disciplinary action up to and including unpaid time off or dismissal

3.13 Responsible for the care, maintenance, and security of Company issued tools, laptops, vehicles, materials and equipment required to perform the locate function. This includes upholding Company policies governing the appropriate utilization of Company assets

3.14 Maintain professionalism at all times and in all circumstances. DPT’s are “ambassadors” for the Company. All employees shall conduct themselves in accordance with G-Tel’s Employee Code of Conduct

3.15 Support Management in responding to any Customer incident or complaint in accordance with G-Tel’s Customer Complaint Policy. The Policy requires the Manager or their delegate, to respond the day the complaint was lodged such that the matter can be effectively resolved as expediently as possible and to the satisfaction of the complainant. LAC Customer complaints must be reviewed at the next scheduled LAC geographic meeting.

3.16 Identify potential new business opportunities to senior management and support subsequent business development initiatives. G-Tel’s long-term viability and success is predicated on expanding and diversifying our lines of business and require employee support in identifying opportunities

3.17 Complete assigned priority locates that are complex once competency has been achieved. These priority assignments may include but are not limited to the following:

• Project, private and/or pre-engineering locates that are assigned to the Locate team or assigned by the Manager of the Private Locates/Sewer Safety Locates team
• project locate support to team members
• support of high profile locates undertaken within the territory or in other areas
• Sewer Safety Inspections – including risk assessment, sonde and clearances

3.18 Demonstrate competence in doing all phases of Private Locates, Sewer Safety Inspections (SSI) and Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE). The DPT must have a willingness to learn new concepts as this position requires experience in a wide range of disciplines

4] Additional Job Requirements
The Damage Prevention Technician is viewed as the ‘face’ of the company in the field and therefore must present the proper company image at all times. Reliability, commitment and punctuality are key personal attributes that the position requires. Candidate must be willing to work flexible hours, work overtime, and travel with occasional overnights in order to meet planned and unplanned deliverable deadlines. The ability to resolve conflict with difficult customers and contractors is a definite asset.

5] Relevant Experience and Skill Requirements
College Degree or DPT Certified
Previous experience in civil engineering, construction and/or knowledge of utilities are considered transferable skills.

6] Demonstrated Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication, negotiation skills – written, verbal and presentation
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to conceptualize and be innovative
• Advanced computer skills a definite asset.
• Strong motivation to advance to higher-level management positions.
• Ability to interact with all levels of the organization both internally and externally

7] Employee Performance
The DPT’s performance will be reviewed on a regular basis. Employees will know the expectation of the position upon hire and/or at the start of the each year. Mid-year, all employees will review their performance with their manager and be provided feedback for further growth and improvement. Finalization of Annual Performance Reviews will be undertaken subsequent to the final year-end financials and publication of results.
The Employee and his/her Supervisor will collaborate to develop meaningful and achievable performance objectives year to year.

8] Personal Development
The Employee shall collaborate with his/her supervisor to develop and implement a personal development plan that ensures that the employee has the requisite skill sets and training to effectively perform all aspects of their job accountabilities.
Individual Employee development plans shall be reviewed and formulated during the annual performance review process.

Salary Rate: To be determined based on experience.