Are underground utility markers essential workers?

[nick at foobar.org (Nick Hilliard)]

Sean Donelan wrote on 21/04/2020 19:57:
> Utility markers don't get the recognition they deserve.  If they aren't
> essential workers, they should be.... and get hazard pay.
> 
> They help protect everyone's fiber and cables and pipes that go boom.

we have a very poorly-defined idea of what constitutes an "essential 
worker", and in the more general case, what constitutes an essential 
supplier.  Supply chains are complex, and disruptions in one place can 
serious downstream ripple effects in another.  There are plenty of 
examples like this at the moment:

> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-16/broadcom-says-orders-require-six-months-notice-due-to-delays
Nick