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| Always Notify 811 Before You Dig. It's the Law. |
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| Remember to include notifying 811—your local one-call utility locator service— in your excavation plans. Damage from digging activities can cause power outages and serious injuries, and we need your help to prevent them. |
| Order our FREE worker safety training kit.
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| Always contact 811 before digging and for the most current requirements. |
| No matter how small or shallow the job, dial 811 or create a ticket at digalert.org. Then, wait at least two working days before you dig, not including the date of notification, weekends and legal holidays. Before digging, always contact DigAlert to confirm utility responses and for the most current requirements. Notify DigAlert again if marks are damaged or if planned dig locations change. |
| The 811 service will notify any utilities that have underground facilities in your dig area to mark any underground hazards. Once you know where utility lines are located, you can then dig in compliance with DigAlert requirements. (You must hire a private locating contractor to locate non-utility-owned lines, such as gas lines to grills or power lines to swimming pools.) |
| Know the Dangers |
| If you don’t notify 811 before digging, you risk contacting a buried utility line. Hitting a buried electric line can cause outages and serious shock injuries or fatalities. Hitting other utilities' lines can also have serious consequences. You can avoid property damage, personal injury, possible fines and repair costs by notifying 811 before you start to dig—even for small or shallow digging jobs. |
| Follow These Five Steps for Safe Excavation |
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Pre-mark your proposed excavation area with white paint, flags and/or stakes. |
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Wait the required time for utilities to be marked before you dig. |
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Follow state laws for digging within the “tolerance zone.” This safety area spans the width of a marked utility plus 24 inches from each indicated outside edge. |
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Respect the marks, avoid using power tools when verifying marked utility locations, and dig with care. |
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| Learn More |
Find more electrical safety tips, instructional videos and training tools at sce.com/safetyonthejob. |
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