National Safe Digging Month

Details

• Personal Author:
  Vance NK
• Description:
  Many farms and ranches have been passed down through a family for generations or operated by a single owner for decades. You or someone you know may remember when and where underground utilities were installed on your land. Assumptions are often made about whether or not utility lines need to be marked, but every digging job requires it - even small projects like planting trees and shrubs. Never assume that all underground utilities are buried at the same depth or that they are buried alone. Often there are multiple lines in the same area. Digging without calling or clicking can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, potentially harm you and those around you and result in fines and repair costs. Also, the location and depth of these lines can change over the years due to erosion, previous digging projects or uneven surfaces, so it's important to call 811-even if you think you may know what is buried in the area. Calling or clicking before every job gets underground pipelines and other utility lines marked and helps prevent accidents. Comply with Texas law by following four easy steps: 1. Call 811 at least two working days before your digging project begins. 2. Wait. Don't start your project until lines are marked. Lines are typically marked within 48 hours of your call. 3. Dig with caution. 4. Immediately report any dents, scratches or damage. The leading cause of serious pipeline incidents is third-party damage, often by a contractor, landscaper, farmer or do-it-yourself enthusiast. Always dial 811 to notify One Call at least two days before you dig, plant or build. 811 is a free, national service created to help protect home and business owners from unintentionally damaging underground utility lines while digging. One call coordinates with pipeline companies to mark the location of underground lines before you dig. Operators will mark the location of pipelines with marker flags or colored paint. Pipelines are marked with yellow flags. Other underground utility lines will be marked with different color flags. View the uniform color code chart to learn more about marker flag colors and the lines they represent. Respect the marks and dig carefully. Talk with the pipeline operator if you have questions about safe digging near pipelines. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Construction Industry Farmers Health Promotion Occupational Health Public Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Safety Cables Construction Electrical Power Transmission Lines Farm Workers Health Promotion Injury Prevention Public Health Safety Education
• Publisher:
  The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053318
• Citation:
  Monthly Safety Blast. Tyler, TX: The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education, 2016 Apr; :website
• Email:
  agcenter@uthct.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Monthly Safety Blast
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9e0a92414631d9b94ef41fd77892957c33fa8b5a85692563ecea25b0fea339066dd47e20c4c0acdf9730af3aaa531014f67beecf8c0c2ec3f15d03b9cd0df8ee
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216105/cdc_216105_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 189.63 KB ]