April is safe digging month

A p r i l i s s a fe digging month

By Connie Hogue, Director of Human Resources and Safety

Traditionally, April brings outdoor work, which often includes digging. Before you start landscaping, building a deck, planting a tree, or installing a mailbox, don’t forget to always contact OHIO811 before you dig.

Digging without contacting OHIO811 is disruptive at best and life-threatening at worst, should a utility line be struck. National Safe Digging Month reminds us how important it is to know what’s below—and that’s an incredible amount of buried utility lines, including gas and electric. More than 20 million miles of utility lines are buried across the U.S. Simply contact OHIO811 before any project that requires digging, and all the utilities in your area will be contacted to mark your property. Failing to call OHIO811 can cause unnecessary outages, require costly repairs or incur fines or penalties, and even risk your life. Failure to contact OHIO811 could result in fines or penalties. Connie Hogue

HOW TO CONTACT OHIO811 • Call 1-800-362-2764 or 811. • Visit www.oups.org/edig.

Project planning Ohio law requires anyone who plans to dig to contact OHIO811 at least 48 hours (excluding weekends and legal holidays) prior to beginning work. OHIO811 acts as the communication link between utility companies and Ohioans planning any digging activity. Within just a few days of contacting OHIO811, local utilities will mark the location of any underground lines. This service is provided free of charge and must be incorporated into your project planning.

Each utility marks their lines with a specific color: Red for electric Yellow for natural gas Orange for telecommunications Blue for water Green for sewage

Hiring a contractor? It’s the responsibility of the excavator to contact OHIO811 and receive a ticket number. After making the connection, the excavator must wait 48 hours to be compliant with Ohio law. If you hire the excavator, be proactive and ensure the lines are properly marked before work starts on the project.

5 Steps for Safe Digging

Contact OHIO811 two to three days before your work begins. They notify the utilities affected by your project. 1. NOTIFY

Wait two to three days for affected utilities to respond to your request. They will send a locator to mark any underground utility lines. 2. WAIT

2-3

Confirm that all affected utilities have responded to your request by comparing the marks to the list of utilities the 8-1-1 call center notified. 3. CONFIRM

Respect the markers provided by the affected utilities. The markers are your guide for the duration of your project. 4. RESPECT

If you can’t avoid digging near the markers (within 18-24 inches on all sides, depending on state laws), consider moving your project location. 5. DIG CAREFULLY