Okie 811 is proud to present this tutorial video, Four Steps to Safe Excavation.
The key to a successful and safe excavation is planning.
It may sound simple enough, but the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act
requires all operators of underground facilities shall participate in the statewide one-call
notification center.
Also requires all excavators must give 48 business hours notice to those underground
operators prior to excavation.
The risks of not contacting Okie 811 very greatly.
These risks could include severe injuries or death, interruption of emergency or 9-1-1
communication, interrupted services of vital utilities and telecommunications, project delays,
construction downtime and idle crews, environmental and property damages, damage expenses or fines,
legal or liability issues from damages, injuries or even death and loss of use damages, punitive
damages and court fees.
After you contact Okie 811, we will notify the owner operator.
Once notified, the owner operator will communicate with the excavator within 48 business hours,
the approximate location of their underground facilities.
Multiple owner operators are contacted, it is their responsibility to communicate and
mark their lines only.
The owner operator may do this through one of the following methods, paint or insert flags
corresponding to the uniform color code or clear communication via phone or email or
through an onsite meeting.
Operators should always wait the required time before doing any type of excavation.
It is important that all the contact information given by you, the excavator during the call
is accurate to ensure the facility operators can contact you in case they have any questions
or comments.
Daily, thousands of homeowners, farmers, ranchers, contractors and excavators are involved in
some type of excavation, since most electric cable, gas, water and sewer pipes in Oklahoma
are just inches below the surface, there is always potential for disaster.
Most projects are completed on schedule without any site incidents, however, some projects
may result in substantial damage to property, injury or even death.
In Oklahoma, there are over 60,000 miles of pipelines transporting vital services to customers.
Pipelines are the safest means of transporting these products.
They become dangerous when we start excavating near their locations.
According to the Common Ground Alliance, approximately every six minutes, somewhere in the United
States, someone damages an underground utility line and 37% of those damages occur because
someone did not use 8-1-1.
It doesn't matter if you want to plant a tree, dig a pool or excavate large amounts of earth
for your safety and the protection of underground utilities, you must contact 8-1-1.
When using Oki 8-1-1, follow four easy steps that will keep you safe and help plan your
excavation.
Number one, contact Oki 8-1-1 before you dig.
Number two, wait the required time.
Number three, respect the marks.
Number four, dig with care.
Underground facility owners and operators are dedicated to keeping you and their facility
safe, reducing or eliminating damages to underground facilities requires everyone's communication
and cooperation.
Follow these four easy steps and they will ensure the safety of you and your crew.
Let's quickly go over some details regarding the four steps to safe excavation.
Number one, contact Oki 8-1-1 before you dig.
There are now three ways to contact Oki 8-1-1.
The first way, dial 8-1-1 from any phone, landline or mobile.
Number two, download the Oki 8-1-1 app from your phone or tablet's app store.
And number three, by using the internet to log on to oki811.org.
You can submit a locate request on the website directly using a request form.
Contacting Oki 8-1-1 reduces the chance of causing damage to less than 1%.
Number two, wait the required time.
As this tutorial outlined previously, Oki 8-1-1 will produce a locate ticket that is
sent to the facility owner operators.
The facility operators with underground facilities in the area will then locate and mark their
facilities before doing any type of excavation.
Number three, respect the marks.
After waiting the required 48 hours, you may want to grab your shovel and start digging.
Well, the next step to safe excavation is respecting the marks.
The markings represent an approximate location of the underground facility.
To prevent damage to underground lines, the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention
Act establishes a two-foot tolerance zone on both sides of the facility.
No automated or mechanical equipment should be used inside the tolerance zone.
Within this area, you must expose facilities by hand digging to establish the exact locations
of the underground lines.
The excavator should monitor the condition of the markings.
Contact Oki 8-1-1 if the markings become unreadable due to excavation activity, whether or vandalism.
Be aware, marks may exist from a previous project.
Always be sure your dig ticket and markings are current and updated every eight days.
And step number four, dig with care.
Once you've established the exact location of the lines and are set to begin, remember
to dig with care.
Your safety is very important.
During any excavation activity, be aware of the job site and all other activities that
may be ongoing.
If a facility is exposed, the excavator must support and protect it.
If damage occurs to a facility, contact the facility owner for repair.
If the facility damage results in the escape of hazardous gas or liquid, leave the area
immediately and contact local emergency response agencies.
Do not backfill until it is repaired.
And remember, do not attempt to repair the underground facility or operate any valves.
If it doesn't look safe, don't dig.
Remember that within the Tolerant Zone, only hand excavation is allowed.
What is the Tolerant Zone?
The Tolerant Zone is a strip of land two feet from the outside wall or edge from an underground
line or pipe.
This means that since the markings on the ground show the approximate location of the
underground facilities, you should use extra caution when you are within 24 inches of the
marks.
By utilizing Oki-811, excavators are following the law and giving themselves peace of mind
and confidence in knowing that they are using safe excavation practices while preserving
vital services, protecting property, and saving lives.
