Dig Safely!

As the weather warms up and we get excited to start outdoor projects it’s important to take your time and recognize that April is Diggers Safety Month. If you’re fencing, installing a mailbox, tilling a garden, or whatever that project may be, it’s important to stop and think about the project before digging.

Chad Krueger with Diggers Hotline shares tips, or rather, steps you must take before using that post hole digger.

“A lot of the services that we depend on day to day, natural gas, electricity, fiber optic lines, water, sewer, and more are all things in the ground,” says Krueger. “Some of these lines are inches or even less than inches below the ground and can cause serious damage if hit.”

While some people may think they’re just planting a tree or starting a garden and they don’t need to worry about calling, it is actually the law to call Diggers Hotline before disturbing the soil. If you damage a buried line you are responsible for paying the owner of the line to repair it which can sometimes cost thousands of dollars.

Diggers Hotline is a free service that is available 24/7 and has staff based in Wisconsin. They take the information from those calling in that are planning to dig and send it to the correct utilities close to the job site.

“You need to plan ahead with this process as we require three working days from the time you contact us until the utilities can get out to mark the area and you’re legally cleared to dig,” explains Krueger.

He adds that if you know there is a utility line based on the flags or markings made, you can simply just know to stay away from it. However, he does encourage people to be aware of what each color means.

Each color is part of a code that represents a type of utility. For example, red is going to be for electricity, yellow is for natural gas, orange is for communication lines, blue for water, and green for sewer. A full list can be found on their website at diggershotline.com.

If you are digging within eighteen inches of the flags or markings, you need to use hand tools as nothing powered is allowed that close to a line. Once you dig down to where you can see the line. You can then begin using power digging equipment within twelve inches of that line.

“Diggers Hotline took over 900,000 locate requests last year from professional excavators, big construction companies, and also from homeowners,” says Krueger. “Remember, it’s the law to call 811 before you dig, and this helps you avoid tragedy, financial stress and legal consequences. You can also file a request online on our website.”