2 steps to safe digging

April 2017 marks 10th anniversary of National Safe Digging Month

Building a deck? Planting a tree? Installing a fence or mailbox?

Heartland and Common Ground Alliance remind you of two simple steps you should take BEFORE you begin your digging project:

1. Call 811 a few days before you dig.

2. Wait for utility marks.

It’s that easy! Calling 811 before you start any digging project is simple and free, and can help you avoid injury, expense, embarrassment and inconvenience.

How it Works

There are millions of miles of buried utilities beneath the surface of the earth that are vital to everyday living including water, electricity and natural gas. 811 is the federally designated “Call Before You Dig” number that helps homeowners and professionals avoid damaging these vital utilities.

When you make the FREE call to 811 a few days before you dig, you’ll help prevent unintended consequences such as injury to you or your family, damage to your property, utility service outages to the entire neighborhood and potential fines and repair costs.

Call 811 from anywhere in the country and you will be routed to your local one call center. Tell the operator where you’re planning to dig and your local affected utility companies will be notified as well. They will send locators to your dig site to mark the approximate location of buried lines with flags or paint.

Most locate crews arrive within a few days. Once the lines are marked, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Make sure to dig carefully around the marks, not on them. Remember the depths of utility lines will vary.

Why it’s Important

Every 6 minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811. Damage to utility lines can lead to service disruptions, serious injuries and costly repairs.

Making a call to 811 is the easiest way to make sure you and your communities are safe and connected.

Promote 811 in Your Community

Awareness of the critical 811 service continues to grow, and you or your organization can help! Protect yourself, your community and your business by letting your neighbors or customers know about the importance of calling 811 before digging.

Visit call811.com for promotional materials, such as logos, handouts, facts and videos.

Kids love learning about 811 too, and Call 811 has a special section dedicated to educating future excavators with videos and curriculum materials.

2017 marks the tenth anniversary of National Safe Digging Month. As you promote the 811 message this April, join the celebration by using the tenth anniversary edition 811 logos on your communications.