Safe Digging Month

By Haig Artan

April is Safe Digging Month and a great time to:

–          Protect your bottom line and safety  

–          Avoid unnecessary physical risk and utility outages

–          Prevent avoidable losses 

“Calling 811 Before Your Contractor Digs” meets these goals! Share this important safety information with everyone. 

At issue:

–          There are miles and miles of underground utilities that link communities to energy, water/sewer and communications centers. These vital links are at risk whenever a stake, shovel, boring, or mechanized excavation device is put in the ground

–          Risk of personal injury as well as catastrophic explosions, not to mention financial consequences of unsafe digging are an ever-present risk whenever we dig

What you can do:

Pass on the following important messages to your contractor and facility owners:

–          Never dig (or authorize others to dig on your behalf) without having all underground services located at least 48 hours before excavating begins by Calling 811, A National One Call Number

–          Always follow best practices when excavating (download Common Ground Alliance’s Best Practices 8.0 from the Common Ground Alliance website, commongroundalliance.org).

Great information built from great industry collaboration!