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What is Call Before You Dig?
To understand what Call Before You Dig is, you need to look at Underground
Service Alert's history, which has been a perfect example of
human nature. Nothing ever happens unless there has been some
sort of wake up call in the form of an accident or tragedy. It
even took the worst dig in in Southern California's history to
get USA/Dig Alert started! In June of 1976, a construction crew
working on Venice Blvd. in Culver City hit a petroleum pipeline.
The explosion killed nine people and an entire city block was
burned to the ground, causing millions of dollars worth of
damage. Southern California found out what could happen if you
hit the wrong line at the wrong time! USA/Dig Alert was formed
three months later on September 13, 1976.
The next major tragedy took place in 1985. A construction crew was going to perform a bore under a city street. They called us twice (Dig Alert) and we notified our members both times. And, both times the electric utility serving the city failed to respond. The crew observed overhead electric in the area and made the fatal assumption that nothing was buried. Unfortunately, the aerial electric lines were distribution and under the street was a high voltage transmission line. The crew went ahead with the bore and hit the transmission line killing a 23 year crew member and hurting his crew chief so badly that he will never work again. This wake up call resulted in legislation passed in 1986 that is still the backbone of how we operate in California today. It laid out the responsibilities of both excavators and owners of underground lines.
Excavators will:
Everybody's luck runs out sooner or later. Calling Before You Dig is free insurance to help safeguard that your luck never runs out. Once you call and wait 2 full working days your excavation activity will be considered valid. In addition, you will not be subject to fines under California State Law or the possible loss of your Contractor's License by the CSLB (Contractor State License Board) for not calling before you dig.
The owner/operators of underground lines are required to mark their facilities prior to your excavation, IF YOU CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. But if you never call, you will never be covered. Why take a chance, Call Before You Dig.
The next major tragedy took place in 1985. A construction crew was going to perform a bore under a city street. They called us twice (Dig Alert) and we notified our members both times. And, both times the electric utility serving the city failed to respond. The crew observed overhead electric in the area and made the fatal assumption that nothing was buried. Unfortunately, the aerial electric lines were distribution and under the street was a high voltage transmission line. The crew went ahead with the bore and hit the transmission line killing a 23 year crew member and hurting his crew chief so badly that he will never work again. This wake up call resulted in legislation passed in 1986 that is still the backbone of how we operate in California today. It laid out the responsibilities of both excavators and owners of underground lines.
Excavators will:
- Call us and give at least two working days notice prior to excavating.
- Delineate (outline) their job in white paint.
- Hand expose to the point of no conflict within the tolerance zone.
- Mark or locate their lines within two working days of the start of construction.
- Use the APWA Color Code to mark their facilities.
- Be accurate within 24 inches either side of the buried facility (tolerance zone).
I have never called Dig Alert before and I've been digging for years, why should I start now?
Everybody's luck runs out sooner or later. Calling Before You Dig is free insurance to help safeguard that your luck never runs out. Once you call and wait 2 full working days your excavation activity will be considered valid. In addition, you will not be subject to fines under California State Law or the possible loss of your Contractor's License by the CSLB (Contractor State License Board) for not calling before you dig.
The owner/operators of underground lines are required to mark their facilities prior to your excavation, IF YOU CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. But if you never call, you will never be covered. Why take a chance, Call Before You Dig.