World Fence News

26 • JULY 2019 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Call before you dig is not utilized by over 40% of homeowners, survey finds Editor's note – This article deals with residential DIYers, not profes- sional excavators like fencers. But it still should serve as a wakeup call to the danger of digging holes not know- ing what lies below. • • • A survey conducted by the Com- mon Ground Alliance (CGA) in March of this year reveals that more than 40% of homeowners who plan to dig will put themselves and others at risk by not calling 811 before starting. Making a free call to 811 before digging for home improvement proj- ects – including landscaping or in- stalling a mailbox – can prevent dam- age to underground utility lines and keep communities safe, CGA notes. The survey results revealed that 42% of homeowners who plan to dig for projects like landscaping, install- ing a fence or mailbox, or building a deck, pond or patio and other DIY projects, will not call 811 a few days beforehand to learn the approximate location of underground utilities. Common Ground Alliance is a national association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them, and their communities. "Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in serious injuries, service disruptions and costly repairs when gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines are damaged," CGA said. The most popular planned proj- ects cited among surveyed homeown- ers who plan to dig include: • Planting a tree or shrub (47%) • Building a patio or deck (24%) • Building a fence (21%) • Installing a mailbox (8%) "Tens of millions of Americans plan to do DIY digging projects this year, but according to our survey, 42% of them admit that they will not call 811 beforehand, which puts homeowners and their communities at risk," said Sarah Magruder Lyle, pres- ident & CEO of the Common Ground Alliance. "Calling 811 a few days before any planned home improvement proj- ects that require digging – including common landscaping projects like planting trees and shrubs – is critical to preventing incidents like service outages and serious injuries," she said. The Common Ground Alliance encourages homeowners to take the following steps when planning a dig- ging project this spring: • Always call 811 a few days be- fore digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property. • Plan ahead. • Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming week- end, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked. • Confirm that all lines have been marked. • Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings. • If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has called 811. Don't allow work to begin if the lines aren't marked. • Visit www.call811.com for com- plete info. (Or obtain the free Safe Excavator App by the National Exca- vator Initiative (NEI) from the App Store or Google Play.) Everyone who calls 811 a few days before digging is connected to a local one call notification center that will take the caller's information and com- municate it to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas. For more information, visit CGA at www.commongroundalliance.com. Boss (to employee): "Experts say that humor on the job relieves tension in this time of down-sizing! Knock, knock." Employee: "Who's there?" Boss: "Not you anymore." extensions, points and blades, Little Beaver effectively serves the needs of end-users from professional contrac- tors to rental centers. For more infor- mation: Little Beaver, 800-227-7515; fax 936-327-4025; sales@little- beaver.com; www.littlebeaver.com; Facebook; LinkedIn; and YouTube. Right choice of hole digging equipment can determine success of a fence installation continued from page 16

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