April is Safe Digging Month. Call 811 before digging.

by Lou Kraus, Right of Way and Claims & Public Affairs Specialist at Wolverine Pipe Line Company, and SCN’s Patrice Johnson

With springtime comes the urge to dig in the soil, to build, to excavate. But before you jam that shovel into the earth to put up a mailbox or plant a tree, consider this: Underneath our neighborhoods and communities, stretching across farms and forests, crossing below streams and roads is a network of life-giving and life-threatening utility lines. Wires, pipes, cables and even tunnels thread unseen below the feet of us surface dwellers.

The United States has the highest per-capita energy use in the world, and its labyrinthine web possesses the amazing ability to bring our households heat, telecommunications, electricity, television and Internet access. Tubes drain away rushing storm waters and deliver fresh water to our homes and schools. About 2.4 million miles of oil and gas pipelines deliver most of the energy that fuels the vehicles we drive. In some locations, national defense communication lines, mass transit, rail and road tunnels also compete for underground space.

Each time a dig happens, there’s a real risk of explosive effects from arcing current and associated flames. Coming into contact with a live power line can cause severe injuries and, in some cases, even death. Add to that, damage to underground lines can incur major expense and pollute the environment.

In the United States, anyone digging is required by law to check for underground facilities. The US Federal Communications Commission assigned the 8-1-1 telephone number to create the One Call System, so landowners and contractors have a single point of contact to notify all utility companies of their intention to dig.

A single call to 811 will prompt utility companies to come out and mark underground lines. There is no charge for this service.

The leading cause of damage to underground pipelines is third party excavation when individuals are digging. Time and time again, preventable accidents occur because this simple step of calling 8-1-1 is overlooked or thought unnecessary.

Whether undertaking a small household project or a more extensive one like putting in a swimming pool or building a deck in the backyard—any time you put a shovel into the ground—it is crucial to call 811.

According to a statement from Wolverine Pipe Line Company, safe underground oil and gas distribution “takes a partnership between the community and us, the pipeline operator.”

Last year, Wolverine reported a near-miss situation in which a local farmer was putting up a pole barn on his property and did not follow the law by calling 8-1-1 beforehand.

“This man was a mere eight inches away from striking our pipeline with equipment,” a company spokesperson wrote. “Luckily, we were able to catch the activity in our right-of-way on one of our routine patrols, but if he’d decided to dig less than a foot from where he did, it could have been a serious incident.”

April is recognized nationally as Safe Digging Month, and here are standard safe digging tips for those who plan to excavate:

• Contact 811 by calling 8-1-1 or visit call811.com at least three working days before digging to have underground utilities marked.
• Wait to start projects until  all lines are marked or cleared by the utility. This can be confirmed by contacting the 8-1-1 system.
• Respect the marks and dig with care, especially when using power equipment. If your project is within 4 feet of the utility marks, modify your plans and stay more than 4 feet from the marks, or use a wooden handle shovel to carefully expose the lines before starting excavation.
• Ask your contractor to confirm 8-1-1 has been contacted before allowing digging work to proceed.

Ever wonder what the color-coded paint means? Here’s the key used by U.S. companies: