April has been designated National Safe Digging Month by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) as a reminder of the importance of safe-digging practices, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced recently.
PHMSA officials advise anyone who is planning a commercial or residential digging project anywhere in the country to first call 811, the DOT states in the April 12 announcement, the nationwide number that connects people with their local underground utility operators. The underground utility operators will mark on the ground the location of buried utility lines so they can be avoided, according to the DOT.
“A majority of pipelines and other utilities in the United States run underground,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said in the report. “Far too often, we see the tragic results to people and property when people fail to call 811.”
Hitting or severing an underground natural gas, electric, telecommunications, water or sewer line risks serious injury or worse to the person digging and anyone else who might come into contact with the broken line, as well as service outages in the area serviced by the line, according to the DOT.
DOT cites a survey by Common Ground Alliance finding that 58% of homeowners plan a home-improvement project requiring digging in the next 12 months, but that 49% won't call 811 first, endangering themselves and their neighborhoods, according to the announcement.
“Whether you’re landscaping your yard, building a deck, or installing a mailbox at your home, it’s absolutely essential to call 811 before any excavation project,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the announcement. “Just remembering to take that step could save your life—and help keep your neighbors, your community, and our environment safe.”
