Learning Centre
ALP Program FAQ
*Note – to view general FAQs about the damage prevention process, click HERE*
General Information
Who operates the ALP Program?
The ALP Program is operated by a consortium of infrastructure owners to provide an alternative option for obtaining locates of their assets. Not all USP members are participating in the program in all regions. There is a list of participating members HERE.
What is Utility Safety Partners’ role in the ALP Program?
USP provides ticket processing capabilities for its members in line with the ALP requirements. USP provides general information about the ALP Program to excavators and locators and ensures that a current list of registered Alternate Locate Service Providers is available on its website.
Who is eligible to use the ALP option?
Any project owner or locate requestor may use the ALP option to receive locates for any routine ticket as long as they adhere to the conditions of the ALP Program.
Who pays for an ALP locate?
The project owner/ requester will be required to compensate the ALSP directly per the ALSP’s ALP rates. Since payment for services will now be between the requester and the ALSP, a contract may be required between parties, but this will depend on each business and situation.
Will ALP impact public locate delivery?
The ALP Program intends to provide an additional option to receive locates. Public locate delivery is measured against strict delivery metrics and it is expected that LSPs continue to uphold commitments to this standard of delivery. Similar models to ALP have been deployed in other provinces and countries with success and all indications show that the addition of this service complements and enables a more robust public locate delivery,
How does ALP differ from similar programs in other provinces?
The key difference is that ALP is currently a voluntary program operated by infrastructure owners to provide an alternative approach to locates for project owners and stakeholders. No regulatory or government organizations are currently involved in or directing the ALP Program.
Are all regions and infrastructure owners participating in ALP?
The goal of the ALP Program is to provide this option across the province, however, the list of participating owners depends entirely on the impacted members and their continued involvement in the program. There is no current requirement for non-participating members to participate in ALP.
The ALP Locate Request Process
How do I make an ALP locate request?
Submit your request via standard procedures and select “YES” in the ALP Locate option box. Once the ALP request is submitted, participating infrastructure owners will remove the request from their standard request-response process, and the requester is then responsible for arranging locates for those members’ assets with an approved ALSP. Please note that emergency locate requests are not part of the ALP process.
Do I have to use the ALP if there are participating members notified on my ticket?
No. If you do not wish to arrange and pay for your own locates, simply leave the ALP box defaulted to “NO” and your locate request will be responded to per normal procedures by all notified members, including those who participate in the ALP Program.
What is the process if there are infrastructure asset owners on a locate request not participating in the ALP Program?
In the situation where some notified asset owners are participating in ALP and others have chosen not to, non-participating members will respond to the locate request using standard procedures.
What happens if a requester decides to not continue with ALP after submitting a request?
The ticket must be cancelled and resubmitted as a new locate request.
Can a requester choose which ALSP to use?
The project owner may attempt to secure alternative locates from any registered ALSP in their region.
In the event an LSP is requested that is not registered as an ALSP, a standard registration assessment and approval process must be followed before using the LSP. There is no guarantee that an LSP will be approved nor that the assessment will be completed per project timing expectations. As such, it is strongly recommended that project owners proactively request an assessment of non-registered LSPs prior to submitting their ALP locate request.
Can a requester perform their own locates rather than through an ALSP?
This is an option, but the requester would need to go through the ALP assessment process to be registered as an ALSP. The requester would need to demonstrate the ability to perform locates and satisfy all safety, quality, and technical requirements as determined by the consortium of infrastructure owners. Registration approval is not guaranteed. More details on the ALSP assessment process can be found here .
Where can I find a list of registered ALSPs?
A listing of all registered ALSPs can be found <here> (Link Coming Soon). Please note this list is subject to change at any time by the consortium of infrastructure owners that maintain the master list.
Infrastructure Owners/Operators
How can infrastructure owner/operators not currently involved in the ALP Program request to participate?
The ALP Program is operated by a Consortium of infrastructure owners so any decision about who can participate is to be made between the Consortium and interested infrastructure owners. USP will put you in contact with a Consortium representative if you email a request to participate in the ALP to [email protected]
Locate Service Providers
How does an LSP participate in the ALP?
Any LSP wishing to participate in ALP and be registered as an ALSP must submit a request for registration assessment. The LSP will be assessed against standard registration assessment criteria operated by a consortium of infrastructure owners. While any LSP can request registration, there is no guarantee that an LSP will be approved for registration. Prior to requesting assessment, it is recommended that interested LSPs review the ALSP Preparation Guide and also review their capabilities against the assessment criteria.
How much does it cost to be registered as an ALSP?
There is a fee for the initial registration assessment. Prospective LSPs who wish to be registered can contact [email protected] to initiate an ALSP registration request. Subsequently, a review of LSP systems and documentation per the ALSP registration assessment criteria will be performed by an assessor approved by the consortium.
Is any LSP able to register as an ALSP?
The ALSP registration process is open to any LSP, contractor, or employer who wishes to participate and meets the minimum registration requirements. For those LSPs not currently contracted to infrastructure owners involved in the ALP Program, additional contractual items may be required and can be coordinated with owners upon registration approval.
Are there ongoing requirements for re-registration of ALSPs?
Registration will continue for an ALSP unless non-conformance to the ALP requirements occurs. Examples include, but are not limited to, safety incidents, damages, quality concerns, or other business changes that impact registration. Audits of ALSP performance and/or registration alignment may occur at any time. Registration is at the sole discretion of the consortium of infrastructure owners that oversees the ALP.
Can an ALSP submit their training program for assessment and approval against the Locate and Marking training standard?
Any approved training provider may provide course delivery for the mandatory Locate and Marking course. As such, an ALSP can request access to the training standard and submit their program for audit by the USP Training Standards Committee audit team. This would allow their certified trainers to deliver course material against the standard and register locators. More details can be found <HERE>. (Link coming soon)
How are individual locators impacted by ALP?
In addition to ALSPs being registered to provide ALP locates, individual locators working for ALSPs will also be required to be registered for ALP participation. Registration involves 2 components:
1. Successful completion of the new industry Locate and Marking course from an endorsed training provider.
2. Employer assessment of the locator that confirms that the locator meets the minimum requirements of ALP.
It was determined that implementing a low-burden and consistent registration process would ensure the ALP Program maintains high quality, transparency, and formalization for all stakeholders. The assessment relies heavily on the ALSP or employer’s pre-existing training and competency review process.
Details of the individual locator assessment criteria can be found here.
Where do I find details about the Locate and Marking course?
The following organizations are endorsed to provide Locate and Marking Standard training:
Are there ongoing requirements for re-registration of individual Locators?
ALSP registration is ongoing, however, individual locators must be re-registered annually. There are certain conditions under which a locator may lose registration or require re-assessment. These are outlined in the registration program requirements. Examples include, but are not limited to, safety incidents, damages, quality concerns, change of employer or other significant changes to a locator’s performance as determined by the employer. Registration is at the sole discretion of the Consortium of infrastructure owners that oversee the ALP Program.
What happens if a locator leaves the organization and moves to a new employer?
In this event, the locator loses registration approval and can no longer work on ALP tickets until the new employer assesses and registers the locator. It is expected that each employer will provide an updated locator registration list each month including locators who have joined or left the organization. This list will not be made public and will serve only to allow confirmation of locator registration.
Is the competency of Locators part of this program?
The ALP registration assessments rely entirely on the employer’s ability to train and manage locator competency. As such, competency is outside of the scope of the ALP Program, which provides a standardized framework to allow registration and participation in ALP locates.