API: Be Safe, Prevent Accidents, Call 811 Before Digging

Washington ─ The American Petroleum Institute is promoting the seventh annual National Safe Digging Month by reminding all Americans to always call 811 before any digging project.

“Dialing 811 before you put the shovel in the ground will keep you and your neighbors safe,” said API Pipeline Director Peter Lidiak. “Striking a single utility line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how small, warrants a call to 811.

“The thousands of miles of pipeline that safely crisscross this country supply Americans with the energy they need to fuel their daily lives,” said Lidiak. “To keep this infrastructure safe and reliable, we need the public’s help to prevent accidents resulting from excavation damage to pipelines.”

API encourages homeowners and professional excavators to take the following steps before any digging project: 
    • Always call 811 at least 48 hours before digging (some states require a different waiting period), regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property. 
    • Plan ahead. Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked. 
    • Confirm with your local one call center that all lines have been marked. 
    • Learn what the various colors of paint and flags represents at www.call811.com/faqs 
    • Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings. 
    • If a contractor has been hired, confirm that a call to 811 has been made. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines aren’t marked.

Visit www.call811.com to learn more about 811 and safe digging practices.

API represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 590 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.