Tips to ensure safe digging during outdoor spring projects

James Dalpino
·2 min read

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WFXR)—With the arrival of spring and warmer temperatures, many will be working on projects to revitalize their home landscaping or planting their first personal garden. Before grabbing the shovel and begin digging, Atmos Energy is reminding everyone of steps to take to ensure safe digging and a safe community.

April marks National Safe Digging Month, which provides an opportunity to spread safety awareness to homeowners, contractors, and professional excavators. Digging without knowing the approximate locations of underground utilities can result in disruptions to critical services, serious injuries, and costly repairs to underground utility lines.

Help ensure community safety by calling 811 before you dig. 811 is the national call-before-you-dig phone number and will communicate a dig request to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark locations of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags, or both.

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“Whether you are a landscape architect or a ‘do-it-yourselfer,’ if your backyard beautification project requires heavy equipment or power tools, make sure all underground utility lines have been located and marked,” said Ryan Tolbert, Atmos Energy damage prevention manager. “National Safe Digging Month reminds us that calling 81l before any digging project is the safest way to avoid damaging your underground utility lines, which could lead to an inconvenient outage.”

Here are some other precautionary measures for homeowners planning any digging project:

  • Plan ahead—make sure to have enough time for 811 to mark underground utility locations

  • Confirm that all lines have been marked

  • Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings

  • If a contractor is hired, confirm that the contractor has contacted 811. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines are not marked

For more information, visit http://www.811beforeyoudig.com/.

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