Essential Digging Guidelines When Working Near Underground Utilities

Every year, thousands of people throughout Illinois unintentionally damage buried wires, cables and pipelines carrying critical services by digging without knowing where underground utilities are located. Accidental strikes are often expensive and can create hazardous conditions. Consequences can range from minor inconveniences to life-threatening accidents; yet most can be prevented by following basic safe digging guidelines.

What can you do to reduce the risk of damaging underground utilities and to protect yourself, your community, your property, and the environment?

Check For Underground Utilities. First and foremost, before beginning any kind of digging project it’s crucial to contact JULIE, Illinois’ FREE communication and notification resource for locating underground utilities. In fact, it’s the law. While not a utility location service…and no JULIE employees will visit your dig site…the organization does coordinate between the excavator or individual digging and utility companies. Once you contact JULIE, utility companies have 3 days to respond to your locate request and will send representatives to your dig site and use colored paint or flags for utility line identification. Each marking color represents a different service: red for electricity; yellow for gas, oil or petroleum; orange for communications such as cable television, phone and fiber optics; blue for potable water; purple for reclaimed water or irrigation; and green for sewer.

Prior to contacting JULIE before you dig, you must pre-mark the areas where excavation will occur. You can do so using white paint or flags. This allows locators to more efficiently provide utility line identification, which in turn allows you to avoid project delays. Also, always properly communicate or identify the scope of work when submitting a locate request—either online or via phone.

Once underground utilities on your dig site have been located,
it’s wise to follow these additional safe digging practices.

  • Verify Markings. Check your locate request confirmation ticket to ensure all utility companies have responded.
  • Clarify Markings. Contact JULIE with any questions or concerns about confusing or missing markings. Request additional information if needed.
  • Document Markings. Take photos or videos of the utility line identification markings before you start digging.
  • Stay Within Boundaries. Do not excavate outside your requested work site. If you need to dig beyond the marked area, contact JULIE for a new locate request to cover the expanded dig zone.
  • Use Hand Tools Within The Tolerance Zone. When digging closer than 18 inches to an underground line marked with paint or flags, use hand tools only.

In addition to contacting JULIE, professionals should follow these additional safe digging guidelines.

Clearly Identify Your Dig Site. Mark the perimeter of your work site with caution tape to establish a safe zone and ensure the safety of workers and others in the area. Also, provide clear warning signage to let people know that an excavator is working in the area and that they should steer clear of the site and keep children and pets away.

Follow Safety Protocols. Adhere to safety protocols set by regulatory bodies…things like wearing personal protective equipment such as hard hats, high-visibility clothing and steel-toed boots. Also, make sure all equipment is in good working condition before starting a new project. Safe working conditions translate into fewer accidents and injuries.

Use Proper Digging Techniques. Before using any heavy machinery, you should pothole, which is the process of digging small test holes in the area where you plan to dig. Potholing should be done by hand, which allows for more precise excavation. Not doing so is more likely to result in accidental hits, punctures or cuts to underground utilities.

Excavating near underground utilities requires meticulous attention and adherence to safe digging practices to prevent severe consequences. Failing to follow proper procedures can lead to more than just service disruptions and property damage, it can also result in personal injury, project delays, legal liabilities, environmental damage, and insurance issues. Following the above safe digging guidelines not only safeguards infrastructure but also helps to avoid potential project delays and…most importantly…protects workers, nearby individuals, and the overall community.

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