Tomorrow, (8/11), is the Easiest Day of the Year to Remember to Call 811 Before Any Digging Project

Tomorrow, August 11, is National 811 “Call before you dig” Day, the
easiest day of the year to remember the free one-call service. Pacific
Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is urging customers and contractors to
call 811 to have all underground utility lines marked two business days
ahead of digging projects.

The 811 one-call service is free and it’s illegal in California not to
call 811 before most digging projects.

“The safety of our customers, employees and the communities we serve is
our absolute highest priority and that includes safe digging. Guessing
or assuming the location of an underground gas line is dangerous, and
the consequences of hitting the unmarked line are often severe and can
even be fatal. No digging project is too small. Whether you’re a
contractor building a high-rise building or a homeowner installing a
fence, calling 811 can prevent damages and injury and even save a life,”
said Jesus Soto, PG&E Senior Vice President for Gas Operations.

A call to 811 is the best safeguard and the first line of defense to
preventing strikes on underground utility lines. Most commonly, these
strikes or “dig ins” occur with a shovel or heavy construction
equipment. Callers are connected to their local 811 center that notifies
the appropriate utility of their intent to dig. That utility operator
sends a specially trained and qualified technician to the digging site
to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or
spray paint.

Top 10 PG&E Cities with the Most Dig-Ins in 2017:

PG&E Safe Digging Tips:

• Mark project area in white: Identify the digging location by
  drawing a box around the area using white paint, white stakes, white
  flags, white chalk or even white baking flour.
• Call 811 or submit
  an online request two working days before digging: Be
  prepared to provide the address and general location of the project,
  project start date and type of digging activity. PG&E and other
  utilities will identify underground facilities in the area for free.
• Dig safely: Use hand tools when digging within 24 inches of the
  outside edge of underground lines. Leave utility flags, stakes or
  paint marks in place until the project is finished. Backfill and
  compact the soil.
• Be aware of signs of a natural gas leak: Smell for a “rotten
  egg” odor, listen for hissing, whistling or roaring sounds and look
  for dirt spraying into the air, bubbling in a pond or creek and
  dead/dying vegetation in an otherwise moist area.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and pge.com/news.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180810005074/en/

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