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Over the years, technological advancement has revamped the way the construction industry operates. Many organizations are adopting new and more efficient methods of carrying out different tasks including digging and excavation.

Many municipalities in Canada have adopted hydrovac excavation as a method to minimize their project’s operational costs. This technique is new and utilizes hydrovac truck for digging. The extensive use of hydrovac trucks by various municipalities is a testament to their effectiveness.

These trucks are used in various projects including sewage removal, disposal, sewage jetting, electric and mechanical installations, and other plumbing jobs.

This post elaborates some of the ways municipalities can benefit from hydrovac trucks.

Cost-Effectiveness

There is a high labor cost involved in the traditional and conventional methods of digging, excavating, and cleaning sites. A large number of workers are required to carry out all sorts of tasks from cleaning the site to the disposal of the debris.

On the other hand, the hydro vacuum truck requires only one or two equipment operators to complete the task – no manual labor is needed. Hence, using vacuum trucks is highly cost-effective for municipalities. Moreover, it is safer.

Time-Saving

Compared to traditional excavation methods, the use of vacuum trucks in hydrovac techniques allows you to complete the task almost five times faster. Hence, municipalities can complete their projects without any delays. This means a company or municipality can take on more projects. Moreover, the tasks performed by the machines are more accurate, so the task can be completed without any redos.

Operational Efficiency

Hydro vacuum trucks are very effective in decreasing the downtime of a project. You do not have to repeatedly transport these trucks to and from the operation site. You can put them back in operation mode after the cleaning task is completed and the material that was being cleaned is collected directly in the tank. Thus, you can easily dispose of the materials using vacuum pumps.

Versatility

A hydrovac is not limited to excavating or digging only. In reality, they are well-equipped to deal with all sorts of materials from the ground. Because these trucks have tanks for storing water and debris from the digging site, they can be used for cleaning up the area as well.

In addition to this, hydrovac trucks are the perfect equipment to overhaul hazardous materials from a large surface. A typical hydrovac tank has the capacity to hold up to 1500-2000 gallons of water approximately. They transport this water to the site for disposal without disturbing or polluting the surroundings.

Utilizing Recycled Water

The hydrovac trucks also have a recycling option that allows the truck operator to reuse the water already available in the truck’s water storage tank. This feature is not only eco-friendly but helps companies save a lot of money.

In addition to the aforementioned benefits of a hydrovac machine, there are additional advantages that municipalities achieve through the correct and proper execution of their excavation activities. These modern excavation techniques are safe, effective, and convenient for both the community and the municipalities.

About Us

At Ghost Hydrovac, we offer expert hydro-vac services, including hydro excavation, directional drilling, cleaning, washing, and more using specialized hydro-vac trucks in Alberta and BC. For more information about our services, contact us today.

High-pressure washing is an effective way to remove stubborn dirt and grime from buildings, sidewalks, stairways, and more. Pressure washing machines remove dirt quicker and without creating a mess as compared to traditional methods. Hence, these machines are used in various industries, but there are some safety hazards involved.

Therefore, it is advised that you get high-pressure washing services only from a professional firm. Ghost Hydrovac provides reliable and safe high-pressure washing services using high-quality equipment.

We have the latest cleaning tools that are safe and can provide top-notch cleaning services. However, if you are still skeptical about the involved safety hazards, the safety practices mentioned in this blog can help you stay safe.

These tips will help you if you are a worker in a high-pressure washing industry or want to learn some safe practices before investing in a high-pressure washing service.

Wear PPE

Wearing safety PPE is important not only for the professionals but also for the customer. Your hands, feet, head, or other exposed body parts are at a risk of getting injured due to the 0-degree red nozzle. The water pressure is so high that it can cause damage to the internal tissues of your body.

In addition to this, flying debris resulting from high-pressure washing can be dangerous and cause injuries to the people in the vicinity. Therefore, proper safety gear, including long pants, gloves, safety glasses, boots, and helmets, is important to keep yourself safe. Always make sure to wear them even if you are there as an observer.

Isolate The Area

Isolating the area is important to keep everyone safe during the process. For example, if you are someone in the high-pressure washing industry and have to carry out the high-pressure washing service, you must isolate the area before beginning your job. Separate and install barriers around the work area to let everyone know that the work is going on.

Don’t Aim At Anyone

Water comes out of the nozzle at a high pressure. Aiming it at someone or in an upwards direction can be dangerous. Water pressure machines are not toys or water guns that you can play with or aim at anyone. They can cause damage to your body internally. Though the damages might not be visible, internal tissue damage can be harmful in the long run. The nozzles should be set at 0-degree downwards and not aiming at anyone. Also, pause the process if you see any unrelated person coming near the location of the operation.

Top 5 Safety Practices For High-Pressure Washing+

Be Alert Of Your Surroundings

It is important to check your surroundings before beginning the high-pressure washing process. Consider all the hazards and check for pets, children, and other important objects that can affect the safety of the cleaning process.

Hire A Professional High-Pressure Washing Service

Hiring a professional high-pressure washing service will save you from the hazards of trying to do it yourself and will make the process more efficient and seamless. Ghost Hydrovac is a professional hydrovac and high-pressure washing company servicing the residents of Alberta and British Columbia.

We offer fully mobilized solutions for tracking frozen lines, melting them off, degreasing industrial equipment, washing stairs, and more. Our trained professionals make sure to follow every safety practice for a safe experience. If you want to know more about us, contact us here today.

Demolition is an inherent part of many businesses and construction projects. Whether it’s the construction of a new building or the remodeling of an existing one, first, you need to bring down the existing structure. Although you can employ skilled labor to help you bring down the old structure, they will not be as effective or experienced at dealing with larger projects. In such cases, businesses should hire a reliable demolition contractor who has the right experience in demolishing larger buildings safely.

If you are looking for demolition contractors in the market, you need to understand what you are looking for and ask specific questions before making the final hire. You must know the top qualities of contractors and your projects’ requirements in order to make an informed decision. Similarly, you must hire demolition experts from a company that knows how to do their job safely. There might be safety risks and hurdles in the demolition project, but professional contractors will know how to easily overcome them.

A multitude of factors can make certain demolition experts more desirable to hire than others. When deciding on hiring the right person for your demolition needs, the two most commonly sought-after things are their professionalism and experience. You must select a contractor that offers the best prices, provides expert demolition, and guarantees to get the job done on time.

Continue reading our post to find out more about some of the important considerations you need to make before hiring a demolition service.

Know Your Budget

It is important to have a set budget before hiring any construction demolition company. You must know your overall budget in order to compare it with the available quotations from the construction companies you’re considering. Usually, the total cost of any demolition project is tied to square footage.

However, some companies might charge you according to the total number of days of the project. Ask them for hidden costs and factors that might increase your bill unexpectedly into the overall cost estimate. After thorough research, set your budget and get a quotation. This will allow you to obtain the best services at an affordable rate but don’t ignore their service quality.

Prepare Your List Of Contractors

Certain risks are associated with demolition jobs, so you must ensure you are selecting the most competent contractor out there. Start by preparing a list of all the local demolition contractors you can think of. Do your due diligence and gather all the necessary information about them. You can ask your friends or acquaintances for recommendations as well.

Read the client testimonials available on their website or their online reviews on other websites. Once you have all the essentials with you, compare them with each other and short-list the ones you like the most. Be sure to do enough research before making a final choice.

Check Their Safety Regulations

You must check how much importance the demolition contractors give to safety regulations throughout a project. Demolishing a building or any structure is not an easy job, and there are many risks associated with it. Plumbing systems, electrical lines, and heavy rubble are some of the factors that must be handled with care.

Not following the proper safety protocols can cause serious harm to the sites’ workers. Therefore, workers of the demolition company you are considering must know how to handle such hazards to ensure everyone’s safety.

Check If They Have The Right Equipment

n addition to skilled site workers, special equipment and machinery are required for any demolition project. Once you have acquired the right equipment for the job, you need to hire someone who will know how to operate the machinery properly. Therefore, you must ensure that the demolition company you hire for your project has the right equipment and experienced employees who can operate it. They should know how to haul electrical lines, beams, large pieces of concrete, and more.

Check Their Waste Management

Demolition companies must also know what to do with the rubble from the demolished structure. Certain materials such as wood, aluminum, and electrical parts can be used again. However, most of them are non-reusable and must be disposed of immediately. Professional demolition contractors should know how to safely dispose of such materials and manage other tasks at the same time.

So you must hire a company that guarantees site cleaning after a job is over to ensure that the surrounding area is clear for new construction.

About Us

At Ghost Hydrovac, we offer expert hydro-vac services, including hydro excavation and demolition using specialized hydro-vac trucks in Alberta and BC. For more information about our services, contact us today.

Excavating is required for wide-range construction projects and is a regular part of construction operations. Along with trenching, excavation is a major worksite hazard, causing an average of 54 fatalities per year according to OSHA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Excavation failures are extremely dangerous because they occur quickly and inhibit the ability of site workers and those nearby to escape to safety.

The risk associated with excavation jobs increases with the speed of an excavation collapse, especially if it’s an extensive one. The aftermath can be deadly as the falling earth can bury or crush any worker in its path, causing internal crush injuries or suffocation. Before starting with the main theme of this blog, let’s first understand what comes under excavation work.

What Is Excavation Work?

Excavation work is the removal of rock or soil from a site, using specialized tools, machinery, and sometimes explosives to form a hole or cavity. It can occur anywhere, such as on construction sites, business premises, and in public areas. Excavation services generally include potholing, open excavations, pit excavations, shafts and drives, and trenches and retaining walls.

Excavation Work Safety Hazards

Excavation Hazards

Some safety hazards are directly related to excavation operations, such as improper site survey before proceeding with the job or incorrect handling of materials during or after it. These include whether or not you have placed the excavated materials, plant, or other loads securely and safely.

Incorrectly surveying before beginning the excavation operation is another major safety hazard to look out for. You must determine how this project will influence its nearby structures and whether there are any previous ground disturbances you should know of before digging a hole.

Any external actions such as excavation, in this case, can cause ground instability leading to a possible inrush of water, other liquids, or hazardous substances present in the soil.

Falls & Falling Objects

One construction site hazard that is most commonly ignored is that any site worker can fall into the excavated area. Falling loads, such as excavation work equipment or excavated soil and dirt, can also fall into the dug-up area and bury those working below. OSHA requires excavation site materials to be stored a minimum of two feet away from the edge of the excavation site. Employers are recommended to prevent any work from being conducted beneath suspended or raised loads.

Hazardous Atmosphere

A safety hazard that must be considered on all excavation sites is oxygen depletion in trenched areas. Contamination of the trench atmosphere by toxic chemicals and gases can significantly drop oxygen levels in that area. Workers breathing in these fumes and gases are at risk of asphyxiation that can be fatal.

Without PPE or respirators, the fumes will be inhaled by workers more quickly due to heavy breathing in such strenuous work. To avoid such unfortunate situations, atmospheric testing should be performed during the site analysis survey for excavations exceeding four feet.

Cave-ins

One of the main risks of excavation work is ground collapses. An average of two site workers is killed each month due to cave-ins resulting from ground collapse, making it a serious safety threat for workers. Ground collapse can be quite extensive in many cases. They may occur quickly without any warning and do not give workers any time to escape. If any worker gets buried underground, he will likely die from asphyxiation due to crushing pressure before help arrives.

Mobile Equipment

Accidents involving construction machinery and vehicles, such as backhoe loaders or dump trucks, are a common hazard of excavation sites. The view of individuals operating any mobile equipment might get obstructed, making them unable to detect when nearing the perimeter of the excavated area. This can lead to both the mobile equipment operators and the vehicle falling into the dug-up hole.

Apart from the safety hazards mentioned above, there are many other threats to the site worker’s safety, especially in traditional excavation techniques such as using explosives. Flying debris on excavation sites can also hit workers and cause serious injuries and damage to the expensive equipment.

Why Choose Hydrovac Excavation?

Hydrovac excavation is a great method to ensure worker safety during any excavation operation. It is a non-mechanical procedure that requires less workforce, fewer machines and allows workers to stay above the ground. This is also a great way to ensure that workers are safe from any mishaps and accidents. Moreover, it poses little threat to the utilities underground, such as water and sewer lines. It also minimizes the chances of damage to existing structures in the soil.

About Us

At Ghost Hydrovac, we offer expert hydro-vac services, including hydro excavation, directional drilling, cleaning, washing, and more using specialized hydro-vac trucks in Alberta and BC. For more information about our services, contact us today.

Accidently hitting an underground utility during an excavation process can prove to be disastrous. Not only can it damage the underground utilities, causing delays in the project and costly repairs, but it may also lead to loss of lives and severe injuries to the workers. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to locate and expose these existing utility lines before commencing any type of excavation project. One way to do that is by utilizing a rather non-invasive technique called potholing.

Potholing And Its Techniques

Potholing, sometimes also referred to as daylighting, is a process of accurately locating and exposing underground utilities such as electric cables, gas and water pipelines, telecommunication lines, and fiber-optics.

Potholing can be carried out in various ways depending on the client’s project requirements, budget constraints, and the risk of intended work. However, the three primary methods of potholing include:

• Hand digging
• Backhoes
• Vacuum excavation that includes air and water excavation/hydrovac excavation

Out of these three, the technique that is the most accurate, non-destructive, safe, and cost-effective for digging potholes is hydrovac. This blog will discuss the reason behind this and the various other benefits of potholing with hydrovac.

Drawbacks Of Other Techniques

Each potholing technique has its own set of pros and cons. For example, hand digging or digging with manual tools such as a shovel may provide accurate results and is less costly, but it is highly time-consuming and labor-intensive. Similarly, although digging with a backhoe is much faster than the other techniques, it is imprecise. It can damage the underground utilities posing a greater risk of exposure and environmental damage.

Potholing with hand digging is suitable for applications where working space is limited, and workers have restricted access to the proposed working zone. In contrast, potholing with backhoes is ideal for applications where the probability of utility interference is low such as in housing projects. Backhoes are not suitable for applications where there are space limitations.

The Hydrovac Potholing Process

When potholing with hydrovac, contractors use a hydro-vacuum excavator truck. To dig up a series of test holes of about 6-12 inches deep, the contractors first use a high-pressure water stream to move ground content. The mud slurry formed, as a result, is then suctioned or vacuumed to a tank mounted on a truck.

Hydro vacuum excavation can safely dig through hard and compacted dirt, rocky soil, and clay. Unlike other traditional potholing methods, it does not cut a utility line that might be hidden below the surface.

Here are some other benefits of potholing with hydrovac:

Precision

Potholing with hydro vacuum excavation is a safe, efficient, and highly precise method of locating and exposing utility lines. Moreover, thanks to the high-pressure water and variety of nozzles being used in the process, contractors can accurately excavate holes of different shapes and depths without damaging any existing utilities.

Accessibility

Potholing with hydrovac allows direct and precise access to locations that are typically inaccessible with traditional potholing techniques. With this method, operators can extend the lengths of their water line and hose to get to places where a traditional potholing machine won’t go, making it the solution to get to hard-to-read areas such as places near or close to buildings or structures.

Low Levels Of Risk

Underground utilities can easily get damaged by traditional potholing techniques, costing contractors a lot of time and money. However, potholing with hydrovac lowers the risk of utility damage to a bare minimum, making the whole process fast, clean, and safe.

Moreover, since hydrovac potholing doesn’t require heavy machinery and intense labor, it makes the process for the workers and passersby a lot safer than other techniques.

About Ghost Hydrovac

At Ghost Hydrovac, we offer professional hydrovac excavation, directional drilling, utility installation, cleaning, washing, and other hydrovac-related services across Alberta and British Columbia. For more information about our services, visit our website, or contact us here today.

Before initiating any excavation project, it is necessary for the crew members to precisely pinpoint the location of existing utilities. Locating and exposing these utility lines is essential to ensure that no potential risk is involved during the construction process.

With so many underground electrical cables, gas pipelines, and other utilities, blindly digging up the ground with a shovel or a backhoe can prove to be disastrous. For example, one small mistake can lead to loss of lives, severe injuries, costly repairs, delays in the project’s timeline, and much more.

However, thanks to potholing technology, workers don’t have to go in blind anymore. They can now locate utilities using this simple yet effective technology. Read this blog to know more about utility potholing and what potholing techniques you can use to best tackle your excavation projects.

What Is Utility Potholing?

Utility potholing, sometimes also referred to as daylighting, is a process of digging up a series of small test holes to locate and expose existing utility lines as accurately and precisely as possible. It is primarily an investigative construction technique and is used to gain onsite confirmation of the location of various underground utilities and other structures that may be present in the proposed construction zone.

Potholing can tell workers a lot about utility lines, including:

• Their horizontal and vertical location
• Their depth
• Type of line
• Or, if there are any signs of damage to the lines

More and more people are now using potholing in their excavation processes. It helps decrease their chances of hitting water, electrical, gas, telecommunication, and fiber-optic lines. Preventing damage to these lines means a smoother project that stays within budget and on schedule.

Potholing is also an effective technique for applications requiring drilling holes, such as installing signage, placing telephone or utility polls, posting fences, and more. Contractors may also use it to repair and inspect existing lines.

Which Method Is Right For Your Project?

Contractors can carry out potholing in various ways depending on the client’s project requirements, budget, and the risks associated with the intended work. The three primary methods of potholing that are implemented in the construction industry today include:

• Hand Digging
• Backhoes
• Hydrovac Excavation

Hand Digging

This method of potholing uses shovels and digging bars to uncover and excavate underground utilities manually. Although this method is the least costly and is mostly accurate, it can be incredibly time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Hand digging is generally a safe method of potholing and is unlikely to rupture underground pipelines or cables. However, caution should be taken when digging near fiber options and electrical lines. This method is suitable for applications where working space is limited.

Backhoes

Digging with backhoes is a faster yet inefficient and imprecise potholing method. Excavating with a backhoe can lead to damage to underground utilities, and due to the lack of precision of this method, it is used in applications where the probability of utility interference is low such as in new housing development projects.

Due to the backhoes size and bulky nature, they are not suitable in applications where there is limited space.

Hydrovac Excavation

This potholing method is efficient, precise, cost-effective, and requires less labor than the other two techniques. In this method, a high-pressure stream of water is used to loosen up the soil. The mud slurry formed as a result is then vacuumed to a spoil tank mounting on a hydrovac truck. From here, the waste is taken away to a designated dump location.

Potholing with a hydrovac prevents damage to the utilities and provides a safer working environment. It can precisely locate and expose all kinds of underground utilities.

At Ghost Hydrovac, we provide professional potholing and directional drilling using the hydrovac technique. For more information about our services, visit our website, or contact us here today.

Hydrovac excavation is a non-invasive and non-destructive digging technology. In this excavation process, contractors use a specialized vehicle called a hydrovac truck or trailer to break up compacted soil. The vehicle has a hose that technicians insert into the ground at the excavation site. The hose injects high-pressure water into the ground, strong enough to liquefy the soil but not powerful enough to damage underground utilities.

The slurry formed as a result of this is then vacuumed into a tank on the truck. It is then taken away from the worksite to a specified dumping location.

This process of digging up the soil is safe, cost-effective, and favorable to the environment. However, it is important to keep in mind that while it has many advantages, it can result in a complete disaster if handled by the wrong person. For the process to be successful, it requires precision, accuracy, and expert technicians. Here is why you should only hire specialist hydrovac contractors to carry out digging processes at your construction site.

Experience And Training

Like in any other field, experience and training are necessary to ensure that the excavation is carried out successfully. Since the process involves high precision, accuracy, and knowledge of operating hydrovac trucks, a well-experienced hydrovac operator can make substantial differences in performing the truck’s applications. These differences can have a huge impact on the time and money spent on an excavation project.

Moreover, an experienced crew will know what to do when different work situations arise. Their expertise will allow them to guide their clients better and thus offer them the best value for their money.

Machinery And Tools

Excavation projects call for the use of heavy machinery and tools. An inexperienced crew may not understand what they need to do or how to operate certain machines. In contrast, professional and well-trained operators can safely and adequately handle the equipment. For example, here’s what they can do for you, day-in and day-out:

• An experienced hydrovac truck operator will know how to perform pre and post-trip truck inspections
• They will know how to appropriately use the truck to perform different hydrovac applications, such as daylighting, potholing, slot trenching, and more
• They will know the exact water pressure and temperature required to perform various applications
• In case something goes off with the machines, they’ll know and fix it instantly before it can damage the excavation site

Faster And Efficient Excavation

Although hydro excavation is generally faster than other conventional digging methods, it can still take longer than the expected timeline, especially if unprofessional contractors are dealing with it. To avoid any inefficiency, get an estimated completion time from your contractors and look at their previous work to ensure they can efficiently deliver on the commitment.

The type of equipment a company uses can tell us about their speed and efficiency. You can also check their reviews online to get an idea about the pace of a company’s project.

Safety

Security and safety are important factors to consider before hiring any contractor, especially in a construction setting. Expert hydrovac contractors will ensure that all their workers are safe from construction machines, products, and processes. Moreover, since this method of digging requires less labor and more precision, there is already a low risk of injury of the workers on site. An experienced contractor will minimize this risk even further.

Excavating Services That You Can Trust

Ghost Hydrovac offers professional and expert hydrovac services to its customers in Surrey, Edmonton, Vancouver, and surrounding areas. Contact us here to get in touch with us today.