March 2016, Vol. 71, No. 3
Newsline
April is National Safe Digging Month. Celebrate by Calling 811 Before Digging.
An underground pipeline or utility line is damaged by a digging project once every six minutes in the United States. Take a moment during the month of April – National Safe Digging Month – to remember always to call 811 when you plan a digging project – whether it is a large commercial or industrial project or simply installing a deck or mailbox.
“The goal is for the 811 number to be as familiar to Americans as 911,” said INGAA President and CEO Don Santa. “Millions of Americans live or work near underground pipelines or other utilities. We can all do our part in making sure everyone is safe by calling before we dig.”
The toll-free 811 number works in every state. A call center will help identify the location of underground utilities on your property, and if necessary, send a professional – at no cost – to mark the location on your property of gas lines, electric lines and telephone, television or internet cables plus other elements of the underground infrastructure, so you avoid them.
There are more than 19 million miles of pipes and cables buried beneath the surface of the earth. Each year, failure to call 811 results in more than 250,000 unintentional hits of underground utilities across the United States. Striking a pipeline or utility line can cause an injury or even a fatality, and result in repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. A simple call can help avoid this. So, call the national 811 number every time you embark on a digging project – whether shallow or deep.
Be safe. Call before you dig. Every time you dig.
Visit www.call811.com this April, or any other day, to learn more about 811 and safe digging practices.
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