Digging Near Underground Utilities: Are You Putting Yourself at Risk?
Spring break, blooming flowers and warming temperatures are all hallmarks of spring time throughout Pennsylvania. So is April's National Safe Digging Month - a public safety initiative supported by more than 1,000 utility companies - that raises awareness about the importance of having underground utility lines marked in advance of any digging project. It's a nation-wide effort to help keep people safe while doing projects big and small.
Do you really know where the underground utility lines on your property are buried? According to the Common Ground Alliance, an organization dedicated to protecting underground lines and those who dig nearby, an underground line is struck and damaged every six minutes in the United States.
Homeowners are often surprised by what's underground—they feel that they know their property very well. A safer bet is to assume that over time, underground utilities may have shifted because of topographical changes (such as erosion) and they might be just a few inches below the surface.
More than 20 million miles of underground utility lines crisscross farmlands, suburban backyards and urban streets across the United States. It's likely that underground utilities are present on your property and that having them properly marked before installing a mailbox, planting shrubs, installing a fence or digging a patio is critical.
“Homeowners digging in their yards without calling 811 contribute to this serious issue”, said Kevin Gern, Director of Safety at Best Line Equipment. "Even for a task as simple as planting a tree, it's a must. A free, quick call to 811 can confirm what you know about your property, or more importantly, save you from making a costly and dangerous mistake."
A call to 811 connects contractors and homeowners to a local one-call center that notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. This service is free of charge. Professional locators then are sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.
811 recommends the following for homeowners and contractors:
- Plan ahead: always call 8-1-1 at least three business days before digging and allow time for marking, regardless of the depth of the dig or familiarity with the property.
- If a contractor has been hired, confirm that a call to 811 has been made.
- After you see paint markings or flags, but before you start to dig, confirm with the call center that all utilities have responded and marked their lines.
- Consider moving your project if it is near utility line markings.
For more tips and information about safe digging and the one-call process, visit http://www.pa811.org.