Calling 811 Is Pay Dirt to Ensure Safe Digging
By Paul Netter

 

If you dig into the facts, you’ll find that nearly 40% of the estimated 31 million homeowners  planning digging projects  across the country this year will do so without first calling 811.

You’ll also quickly find that it is not only ill-advised but also a hazardous decision that leads to unintentional dig-ins to buried electrical, gas, water and phone lines as well as fiber-optic cable. In California, there are thousands of unintentional dig-ins every year and hundreds of thousands of dig-ins nationwide. These  dig-ins can result in power outages, explosions, injuries and even death  — as well as potential liability for the damages.

With National 811 Day on Aug. 11, Southern California Edison reminds homeowners and contractors that the only way to safely begin any digging project around the country’s more than 200 million miles of underground utilities is to call 811 or  schedule an appointment online  at least two working days before to have underground utility lines identified and marked for free.
“Calling 811 before digging anything, no matter how small the project, is the best way to avoid hitting an underground utility line,” said Nicole Kraus, senior advisor of Enterprise Risk Management & Public Safety at SCE. “We remind homeowners and professional excavators that  calling 811 before any dig is the only way to perform this work safely and protect you and your community .”
To prepare for the utilities’ free markings, homeowners or contractors should pre-mark the area where the digging will take place with white paint, stakes with white flags, chalk or materials like flour or sugar.

SCE offers  additional safety tips  to homeowners and others working on digging projects, including:

• California law requires that you call two working days before your planned excavation, excluding the date of notification. For more information, check out  digalert.org/calaw .
• If a contractor is doing the digging, confirm that they have called 811. No work should begin unless the utility lines are marked.
• Consider moving your project’s location if it is too close to utility line markings.
• Use a fiberglass shovel when digging around buried electrical lines.
• Hand tools should be used when digging within 18-24 inches of the outside edge of underground utilities, and utility flags, stakes or paint should be left in place until the project is finished.
• If the utility line is visible, dig in parallel with the utility line and use all precautions when removing the soil from around the utility line.
• If you hit a utility line or encounter any other electrical hazard such as a down wire, stay away and call 911 or SCE at 1-800-611-1911 immediately.