Did you know that damage to pipelines due to excavation equipment is one of the leading
causes of pipeline incidents?
There are millions of miles of hazardous liquid and natural gas pipelines located underground across North America. Millions. Those are in addition to the electrical and communication lines and many other underground facilities that 
network this continent.
Hitting a pipeline can cause damage and failure of the pipe. And pipeline failures can result in injuries and even fatalities.
That's why all excavators whether they work with a shovel or a four-ton backhoe must make damage prevention their number one priority. Everyone who excavates or digs must do their part to ensure that underground facilities are located accurately before digging begins. So call before you dig! It's your responsibility, and it's the law.
Four Simple Steps that Could Save Your Life
- Call before you dig.
- Wait the required time for facilities to be marked.
- Respect the marks.
- Dig safely and dig with care.
Whether you are a private homeowner installing a mailbox or a professional contractor digging up a city street, you are required by law to notify your local one-call utility notification center 48 to 72 hours prior to digging. This is very important.
Careless digging poses a threat to underground facilities and to people. It is estimated that there are about 400,000 incidents each year in which underground facilities are damaged during excavation, with many of these resulting in injuries and fatalities.
Most areas have established one-call centers for you to call before digging. In the United States, one-call centers handle over 15 million calls annually. The one-call center concept, along with other damage prevention initiatives, has significantly increased excavation safety. However, accidents still occur, and a major reason is that some people who dig still do not make the necessary call.
To help address this problem in the United States, Congress mandated in the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 the establishment of a national, call-before-you-dig, three-digit telephone number. In accordance with that mandate, on March 10, 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established and adopted the number 8-1-1 as the national call-before-you-dig number. The Common Ground Alliance has created a national public awareness campaign to promote the use of 811. Many states and telecommunication service providers are moving forward with the implementation of this important service.
It will take time - perhaps a year or more - for the telecommunications industry, the FCC and others to fully implement the new 811 call-before-you-dig number across the United States. However, once fully implemented the designation of this new three-digit number by the FCC will better facilitate the call-before-you-dig process and benefit the national Dig Safely program.
Until the new 811 call-before-you-dig number is implemented, you must still call your state one-call center before digging.
For the one-call number in your area, dial 1-888-258-0808 in the United States. The one-call center will collect information about the location of your intended dig and then contact the companies in your area who operate underground facilities such as hazardous liquid and natural gas pipelines, telecommunications systems, electrical utilities, and sewer and water pipelines.
For more information...
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Those companies will visit the site and mark the location of their facilities with flags or paint. When Kinder Morgan pipelines are involved, a Kinder Morgan
representative will locate and mark the underground lines at no cost to you.
It is your responsibility to wait the required time for facilities to be located and marked. It is also your responsibility to respect the marks and dig with care to avoid damaging underground facilities in accordance with your state or provincial one-call laws.
What to do if you are digging and disturb a pipeline:
Even if you happen to cause what seems to be only minor damage to a buried pipeline, notify the pipeline company immediately. A gouge, scrape, dent, or crease to the pipe or coating may cause a future break or leak, so don't cover it up. It is imperative that the pipeline company inspect and repair any damage to the line, for everyone's safety. If you become aware of such an incident or potential incident, please contact the pipeline operator immediately.
