Let’s Talk Safety: Know What’s Below and Call 811 Before You Dig

from Florida Water Resources Journal - August 2020

FSAWWA Speaking Out—Kim Kowalski

This column addresses safety issues of interest to water and wastewater personnel, and will appear monthly in the magazine. The Journal is also interested in receiving any articles on the subject of safety that it can share with readers in the “Spotlight on Safety” column.

Know What’s Below and Call 811 Before You Dig!

You’ve seen the local headlines before: S For the second time in a week, the fire department had to evacuate residents of . . . S A construction crew ruptured a 2-inch gas line, forcing . . . S 20,000 customers were out of phone service for 11 hours . . .

All of these instances involved someone digging into underground utilities.

Unfortunately, across the United States these types of incidents occur thousands of times every year because excavators or utility workers did not call their local locating service, such as Dig Alert or One Call, ahead of time. Sometimes these digs even result in serious injury or death caused by fires, explosions, and electrocutions.

Remember also that it’s becoming more commonplace for all utilities to be laid in the same trench, so if you’re looking for your water lines, you may also find gas, electric, and communication lines.

Can You Dig It? Call 811

It’s easy to avoid digging into other utility lines. All it takes is a call to 811 (or use the 811 website) from anywhere in the U.S. and you will automatically be connected to your local underground service operator. The name of the service may change from community to community, but its function is the same: to protect you, your coworkers, and the public.

It’s imperative that this call be made before beginning any excavation. It’s important, even for utilities, to use this service because as-built maps and charts are often inaccurate or out of date.

The Five Critical Steps to Safe Digging

Take these critical steps before digging and save time and money (and maybe a life):

Survey and Mark the Site

Survey the proposed excavation areas and mark the dig sites in paint or chalk.

Call or Go Online Before You Dig

Call 811, or go to the 811 website, and communicate with your local utility locator service before you begin any digging, including common projects like planting trees and shrubs or installing fencing or other posts. You’ll need to know the address of where you plan to dig, including the county and nearest cross streets; the type of project you’re completing; and the exact area on the property where you’re planning to dig. Whether you call 811 or make your request online, you’ll need the same information.

Wait the Required Time

You usually have to allow two working days to have the lines located and marked. You need to wait to allow utilities to respond to your request and ensure that all utilities have indeed responded to your request before breaking ground. The specific amount of advance notice that you’re required to provide varies by state. Once all utilities have marked their buried lines, you should dig carefully around any utility marks and consider relocating projects that are close to buried utilities.

Respect the Marks

Maintain the marks and follow them when digging. Make sure all of the workers are aware of the marks before any digging begins.

Dig with Care

Hand-excavate within 24 inches of each side of the lines. Make sure to always dig carefully around the marks, not on them. Some utility lines may be buried at a shallow depth, and an unintended shovel thrust can bring you right back to square one—facing potentially costly and/ or dangerous consequences. Don’t forget that erosion or root structure growth may shift the locations of the utility lines, so remember to call again each time you are planning a digging job.

It’s easy to call before you dig. If you hit an underground utility line, you (and others) could be hurt or killed. You

may also be liable to the other utilities for costly damages and lost service. So be safe and make that call!

Resources

For more information about specific requirements by state, check out the Common Ground Alliance website at www.call811.com.

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