April 2020 marks the 13th National Safe Digging Month, a yearly reminder for homeowners and contractors to notify the One Call hotline before beginning a digging project of any size, whether digging, excavating, or blasting.
Homeowners are legally required to call the National One Call hotline by dialing 811 or PA One Call at 1-800-242-1776 at least three days before digging on their property. No matter how big or small the project, you’ll need to provide details about the dig and the approximate location.
After receiving your call, PA One Call will notify the relevant utility companies and dispatch someone to the digging site to mark any underground lines on the property with flags or paint for your safety. The service is free and helps keep you and your community safe from injury as well as avoid unnecessary repairs, outages, and fines.
Whether you’re planting a tree, installing a mailbox, or excavating an entire property, it’s important to practice safe digging by paying close attention to the markings on the property denoting the location of utility lines, such as natural gas lines.
Always confirm that all utility lines have been marked before you begin digging, and maintain a safe distance from the marks when digging. Remember to call the hotline again if you’re returning to a previous digging project, because even though marks may still be visible, erosion or root growth could cause utility lines to shift underground over time.
In the US, every six minutes a utility line is damaged from unsafe digging. Unfortunately, these line hits are also the leading cause of gas incidents nationwide. Fulfill your legal obligation to the state and your responsibility to the surrounding community by notifying One Call of upcoming digging projects or checking with your contractor to make sure that they have done so.
Celebrate National Safe Digging Month by taking advantage of the One Call hotline to keep yourself and neighboring homeowners safe. Unsure of how to notify your state about a digging project? Learn more here.