Underground Utility Strikes

Why it matters

The backhoe that nicks a gas line or the trencher that finds a primary electric cable turns a normal Tuesday into the evening news. Call-before-you-dig is the law everywhere, but locate marks are only as good as what happens after: hand digging, respect for tolerance zones, and healthy suspicion.

Hazards

• ⚠ Striking gas lines causing leaks and explosions
• ⚠ Cutting electric cables energizing soil and equipment
• ⚠ Water main strikes flooding excavations instantly
• ⚠ Fiber and communication cuts with massive liability
• ⚠ Unmarked private lines: irrigation, septic, site lighting

Controls and safe practices

• ✓ Call 811 and wait for all utilities to respond before digging; per 1926.651(b), the location of underground installations must be determined before opening an excavation.
• ✓ Hand dig or vacuum excavate within the tolerance zone of any mark, typically 18 to 24 inches each side.
• ✓ Locate marks expire; re-call when work extends past the ticket window.
• ✓ Assume private lines exist that 811 does not mark: irrigation, gas to grills and generators, low-voltage lighting.
• ✓ If you strike gas: no engines on or off, no phones nearby; evacuate upwind and call 911 and the utility from a distance.
• ✓ If a cable is cut, treat everything in contact with the ground as energized; keep everyone back.

Crew discussion questions

1. Do we have a valid locate ticket for today’s digging, and when does it expire?
2. Where are the marks, and does anything about them look wrong or incomplete?
3. What private lines could exist on this property that were never marked?
4. What is our exact response if we smell gas?

Applicable OSHA standards

29 CFR 1926.651

More toolbox talks

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• Fall Protection Basics
• Heat Illness Prevention
• Lockout / Tagout: Controlling Energized Circuits
• Trench and Excavation Safety
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