New Jersey Natural Gas Wants You To Be A Partner In Safety

WALL – April marks the 14th annual National Safe Digging Month, and New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) reminds New Jersey residents to keep themselves and their communities safe by calling 811 prior to the start of any digging project.

“With spring here, and home and business owners eager to start their outdoor projects, New Jersey Natural Gas reminds everyone to call 811 before they start any digging, no matter the size of the project” said John Wyckoff, vice president of energy delivery at New Jersey Natural Gas. “The leading cause of pipeline incidents is third-party damage, which can put people and homes at risk. It is critical for our customers and community members to be aware anyone doing work can keep themselves and their communities safe by simply calling 811 – not only is it free, it’s also the law.”

Failing to call 811 often results in careless digging, disrupting vital services, property and environmental damage, repair costs, fines and even injuries. According to the Common Ground Alliance, every nine minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811.

Dialing 811 will connect you to New Jersey One Call, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of your intent to dig. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate locations of underground utilities with flags, paint or both. Yellow indicates a natural gas line. During National Safe Digging Month, and throughout the year, NJNG encourages homeowners to take the following steps before digging:

• Always call 811 at least three, but not more than 10, business days prior to the start of digging, regardless of the depth of the dig or your familiarity with the property.

• Before digging, confirm the markout has taken place. Yellow indicates the presence of underground natural gas lines.

• Respect all markings. Take a photo of the markout because inclement weather may wash away painted markings. Maintain the marks until no longer necessary and move the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.

• Dig with care and respect the tolerance zone –remember to always use hand tools to dig within two feet on either side of any marked facility and exposing the facility prior to using mechanized equipment.

For more information about 811 and safe digging practices, visit nj1-call.org or the My Safety section of njng.com.