In recent years, underground facilities have been struck and damaged regularly by OMAG members. An underground facility strike is when a utility line buried underground such as water, sewer, gas, communications, and electric is hit and damaged during the excavation or backfilling process. Regardless of what caused the damage, putting an end to these underground facility strikes will save time and money.
Underground facility damage can be reduced by:
Contacting OKIE811 before all excavations and document all facilities have been marked before excavation starts.
Pothole and locate all facilities that fall within 4 feet of the excavation.
Take detailed pictures of proposed excavation, facility markings, potholing, and backfill.
All employees excavating near underground utilities are responsible for taking steps to prevent damage. You must know what steps you need to take, what the law requires, and especially when facility damage is not your fault. You can get all this information by taking advantage of free training offered by OMAG. Save yourself time and money by protecting underground facilities so contact OMAG risk management for the next available Excavator Certification Training.
