As the days get warmer and excavation projects pick up, it’s crucial to prioritize safety. Every April, Congress designates National Safe Digging Month to raise awareness about excavation hazards. Did you know there are more than 550 dig-ins to buried utilities and pipelines every day in the U.S.?* Each one presents a risk of serious injuries to workers and communities.
The good news? By following a few key safety steps—including contacting 811 before every dig—you can help ensure smooth and incident-free excavations. Whether you’re working on a large construction project or a routine dig, here are six must-follow tips for excavation safety:
- Always Have a Valid 811 Ticket. Before digging, contact 811 a few working days in advance—every dig, every time. Double-check that your ticket is valid and includes the correct location, start/end dates, contractor details, and work type before beginning excavation.
- Confirm Utility Responses Before Digging. Before breaking ground, review your 811 ticket to ensure all utility companies have responded by marking your site or clearing your ticket. Physically inspect the area for any signs of unmarked underground utilities before proceeding.
- Protect Utility Markings. Once utilities are marked, it’s your responsibility to preserve flags, stakes, and paint markings. If weather or site conditions make the markings unclear, request a remark from 811 before continuing work.
- Pothole or Test Dig to Expose Utilities. Utility markings are approximate, and congested underground environments can lead to mismarks. To safely confirm utility locations, use hand tools or soft-dig methods (like vacuum excavation) within the tolerance zone. This is the only way to accurately verify underground utilities.
- Use Caution with Heavy Equipment. Even after verifying utility locations, exercise extreme caution when operating heavy machinery near buried lines. Backhoes cause the most damage to underground utilities, so operators must stay vigilant to prevent accidents.*
- Follow OSHA’s Three S’s of Trench Safety. Soil is heavy, and trench collapses can be fatal. Always follow OSHA’s Slope, Shore, and Shield methods to protect workers. Slope trench walls at a safe angle or bench them in steps, Shore trench walls with protective supports and Shield workers using trench boxes.
For more information on safe excavation practices, visit www.CommonGroundAlliance.com.
*SOURCE: Common Ground Alliance’s 2023 DIRT Report.