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August 11 is 811 Day
Make One Call for Digging Projects Large or Small
… and have underground utilities located for free!
Tuesday (8/11) is National Safe Digging Day, serving as a reminder to anyone digging to call South Carolina 811 a minimum of three (3)-business days prior to starting any digging project, no matter how large or small. Dialing 811 is a free service, and utility workers will mark the location of any underground lines, helping individuals to dig safely and avoid injuries and potential fatalities, as well as repair costs and fines. With more people at home during pandemic restrictions, and summer a peak time to work on home improvement projects, it’s more important than ever that residents remember to dig safely.
According to Glen Boatwright, Vice President, Regulatory Compliance & System Planning, “safety is always our top priority! While August 11 highlights the need to use 811 for utility damage prevention, we encourage homeowners and contractors to use this free service year round as our partners in safety.”
Make One Call for Digging Projects Large or Small
… and have underground utilities located for free!
Tuesday (8/11) is National Safe Digging Day, serving as a reminder to anyone digging to call South Carolina 811 a minimum of three (3)-business days prior to starting any digging project, no matter how large or small. Dialing 811 is a free service, and utility workers will mark the location of any underground lines, helping individuals to dig safely and avoid injuries and potential fatalities, as well as repair costs and fines. With more people at home during pandemic restrictions, and summer a peak time to work on home improvement projects, it’s more important than ever that residents remember to dig safely.
“Safety is always our top priority! While August 11 highlights the need to use 811 for utility damage prevention, we encourage homeowners and contractors to use this free service year round as our partners in safety.” Glen Boatwright, Vice President, Regulatory Compliance & System Planning.
Striking a natural gas pipeline can cause injury, significant repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small requires a call to SC811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, demolition, installing an irrigation system and planting a tree or garden are all examples of digging projects that should only begin after a call to 811.
When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to SC811, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, paint or both. Each type of utility has designated marking colors to clearly identify the type of underground facilities. The marking colors are shown in the chart.
The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.
As part of National Safe Digging Day, York County Natural Gas encourages homeowners to take the following four steps and dig with care this spring:
Step 1 – Plan ahead – Always call SC811 at least three business days before digging, regardless of the familiarity with the property. Calling on or before Tuesday insures utilities will be marked for weekend yard work. Requests can also be made online at sc.811.com or through the SC811 mobile app.
Step 2 – Allow required time for marking – Utility companies have 3-working days to mark their facilities which does not include weekends or official state or Federal holidays.
Step 3 – Respect and protect the marks – Do not cover up or destroy the utility markings as they indicate the approximate location of underground utilities. Contact the utility if marks are destroyed.
Step 4 – Excavate carefully – Do not dig with mechanized equipment within 24 inches of either side of the utility markings – hand dig only. Once the utility line has been exposed protect the integrity of the facility while digging.
Safe Digging Contest
Are you an 811 Whiz? Take the 5-question quiz!
If you’re an 811 WHIZ, take the Gas Safety QUIZ – you could WIN!
Prize includes a $25 Gift Card to Wilson’s Nursery, 811 t-shirt, 811 gardening spade, YCNGA stainless tumbler & more. Quiz ends on Sunday, August 16th. Winner will be notified on Monday, August 17th – entree must include contact information to win.
5-question quiz ends on Sunday, August 16
Congratulations to our 811 Day Quiz Winner – Mary Coombs of Tega Cay
