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Always Notify Dig Safe® at 811 Before You Dig |
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Everyone's resources have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can help prevent locate delays by pre-marking your proposed dig area in white and notifying 811 of your planned excavation. To learn more about Unitil's response to COVID-19, click here. |
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Do you have a project that involves digging? If so, don't forget to include Dig Safe in the planning of your excavation. Damage from digging activities is a leading cause of pipeline accidents, and we need your help to prevent them! |
Call Dig Safe at 811 or use the Quick-Ticket online request system at www.DigSafe.com at least 72 hours (three full business days, excluding weekends and legal holidays) before you dig or move earth in any way. Dig Safe will notify any utilities that have underground facilities in your dig area so they can mark out the locations. Once you know where utility lines are located, you can dig a safe distance away from them. |
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Know the Dangers |
If you don't notify Dig Safe before digging, you risk contacting a buried utility line. Hitting a buried electric line can cause outages and serious shock injuries or fatalities. And hitting a gas line can lead to a fire or explosion. You can avoid property damage, personal injury, and possible fines and repair costs by notifying Dig Safe before you start to dig. Even small digging jobs require this. |
Play It Safe |
Follow these five essential steps for safe excavation: |
1. |
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: 72 hours, excluding weekends and legal holidays. |
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Adhere to state laws for digging within the “tolerance zone,” a safety area that spans the width of a marked utility plus 18 inches from each indicated outside edge. |
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Respect the marks, hand expose to verify the location of marked utility lines, and dig with care!
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Would You Like to Know More? |
Additional electrical and natural gas safety tips, case studies, instructional videos, and training tools can all be found, at no charge to you, on Unitil’s e-SMARTworkers website. |
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