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Call Before You Dig

Table of ContentsPreface ...................................................................2

Why do I need to Call Before I Dig? .........................3

Who is Kentucky 811 and what do they do? ............4

What is the process of safe digging? .......................5

What information will I need in order to submit a locate request? .......................................................6

What will I need to do during the call? ....................7

What constitutes an Emergency? ............................8

What happens after I call? ......................................9

What do the colors mean? ....................................10

What should I expect from the markings? .............11

What if I need to dig near the markings? ...............12

When do I need to have the lines remarked? .........13

Additional excavator information ...........................14

What defi nes an excavation? ................................15

What should I do if I damage a line? .....................16

DO during the excavation ......................................17

DON’T during the excavation.................................18

Things to Remember ............................................19

Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Information ..........20

Educational Web Sites ...........................................21

Web Ticket Entry ...................................................22

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Call Before You Dig

PrefaceThis booklet provides basic information on safe excavation practices in Kentucky. It is intended as an educational resource only, so please be advised of the following:

• This booklet is not a legal reference. You should consult your attorney, if necessary, for advice on interpreting the law.

• It does not contain the complete text of the KRS 367.4901 – 367.4917. Log onto the Kentucky 811 website for the full-text version of the law: http://www.kentucky811.org

• The information in this booklet is subject to change without notice.

Throughout this manual, you will see

Please pay special attention to these tips to help in the process of a safe excavation.

Kentucky 811 itself does not locate or mark underground facilities. Locating and marking facilities is the responsibility of the utility owners.

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Call Before You Dig

Why do I need to Call Before I Dig?It all begins with planning your work. A careful review of your plans and your work-area prior to the actual excavation can help save you and your company unexpected downtime, loss of revenue and injury. A safe excavation can be achieved by following the suggestions and processes outlined in this manual.

Follow these four steps to safe digging:

• Call before you dig

• Wait the required time for marking

• Respect the marks

• Dig with care

There may be other company regulations or policies for you to follow, so you should also double-check with your supervisor.

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Call Before You Dig

Who is Kentucky 811?Kentucky 811 is a free statewide computer operated communication system, designed to save time, money, costly lawsuits, and dramatically reduce accidental dig-ins. Kentucky 811 is a non-profi t corporation made up of operators of underground facilities within the State of Kentucky.

Defi nition of One-call as defi ned in Kentucky law.KRS 367.4903 (9)“One-call center” means a multimember protection notifi cation center providing a single telephone contact number and designated by the Kentucky Public Service Commission to be the sole recipient of 811 dialed calls through which an excavator may contact all operator one-call center members and all affected operators may receive information to enable them to provide the excavator with the approximate location of underground facilities.

KENTUCKY 811 DOES NOT MARK LINES

The Kentucky 811 mission is to lead Kentucky in preventing damage to underground facilities and provide the best possible notifi cation service to our members at a reasonable cost.

Kentucky 811 has the responsibility to manage the “call before you dig” process for Kentucky by providing a quality one-call process to:• Protect the public• Protect the underground infrastructure• Protect the environment

Call 2 business days before you dig. It’s fast, it’s free and it’s the law!

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Call Before You Dig

The process of safe diggingKRS 367.4911 (1)By calling Kentucky 811 two business days before you dig you begin the process to a safe excavation.

The fi rst step to a safe excavation begins during the planning stages. By planning your work, understanding your work area, and deciding when you plan to start your dig, you are on your way to digging safely.

Plan before you make the call:• Assess your route or excavation site• Gather all your information• Premark the location in white paint, if requested

Now you can make the callDial 811 or 1-800-752-6007

Dig with Care

If you are a frequent caller, we can assign you a contractor ID#. This number is specifi c to you and your company, and will simplify the process on future locate requests.

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Call Before You Dig

What happens during the call?When you call Kentucky 811. You will be questioned regarding your dig. You will want to have as much of the following information ready as possible:

*CONTRACTOR LOCATION REQUEST FORM*

Complete the following information before you call…it will save you time, assist the One Call Center and allow you to have a copy of your location request for documentation.

CONTRACTOR# _________________________________________________(If you do not have a #, request one when you call, for future use)

CONTRACTOR NAME _____________________________________________

CONTRACTOR PHONE # ___________________________________________

CONTRACTOR ADDRESS ___________________________________________

CALLER’S NAME ________________________________________________

DIG SITE INFORMATION

COUNTY _______________________CITY ___________________________

CITY LIMITS – INSIDE __________________OUTSIDE ____________________

ADDRESS # _____________________STREET NAME/HWY # ______________ (KY law prohibits more than 2000’ per locate request number)

CROSS STREET/NEAREST INTERSECTING ROAD__________________________

TYPE OF WORK _________________________________________________

DEPTH OF DIG_________EXPLOSIVES/BLASTING – YES____ NO ____________

DESCRIBE DIG AREA ON PROP ______________________________________

START DATE ____/____/____ START TIME______________(AM/PM)(Kentucky State Law requires two (2) business day notice in advance of dig)

COMMENTS ____________________________________________________

**INFORMATION WE PROVIDE YOU**

REQUEST # ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Document the member utilities Kentucky 811 will be contacting - You are responsible for notifying any non-members. You are required to request an update every 21 days until your project is completed, or sooner if the markings are no longer visible or the work location has changed, providing a 2-business day notice.

LOCATE REQUEST FORM CAN BE DOWNLOADED & PRINTED AT WWW.KENTUCKY811.ORG

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Call Before You Dig

After you have given all the appropriate information to the one call agent, this is what happens next:• The one call agent will read all information back to you• You must listen carefully and verify its accuracy• You will be given a list of member utility owners that Kentucky811 notifi es

KRS 367.4913 (2)• You will be given a locate request identifi cation

number that is proof of your call. Record the number and keep it for the duration of your excavation or longer when applicable.

The request identifi cation number may be referred to as: confi rmation number, ticket number, or BUD number.

A point of caution: not all utilities are members with Kentucky 811, it is your responsibility to contact any non-members that may be affected.

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Call Before You Dig

What constitutes an Emergency?

KRS 367.4903 (7)“Emergency” means there exists substantial likelihood that loss of life, property, or the inability to restore interrupted utility service will result before procedures required under KRS 367.4909 to 367.4913 can be completed.

KRS 367.4907Responsibilities of persons engaging in emergency work.

Compliance with excavator and operator notifi cation requirements of KRS 367.4905 to 367.4917 shall not be required of authorized persons responding to emergency situations. However, these persons shall take every reasonable precaution to protect the public safety and underground facilities of others.

Only actual emergencies should be designated as such when a dig notifi cation is phoned to Kentucky 811. An example of an emergency is a broken water main.

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Call Before You Dig

So I’ve called, now what do I do?KRS 367.4911“….not less than two (2) business days nor more than ten (10) business days prior to commencing work, notify each affected operator of the excavator’s intended work and work schedule. Contacting the applicable protection notifi cation centers shall satisfy this requirement.”

Call two (2) business days in advance and start your work within ten (10) business days.

KRS 367.4909 (4)An operator shall, within two (2) business days after receiving notifi cation from an excavator:

(a) Inform the excavator of the approximate location and description of any operator’s facilities that may be damaged or pose a safety concern because of excavation or demolition;

(b) Inform the excavator of any other information that would assist in locating and avoiding contact with or damage to underground facilities;

26

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 27 28

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Call Before You Dig

KRS 367.4909(4) con’t.

(c) Unless permanent facility markers are provided, provide temporary marking to inform the excavator of the ownership and approximate location of the underground facility; and

(d) Notify the requesting party if underground facilities are not in confl ict with the excavation or demolition.

KRS 367.4909 (5)Temporary underground facility markers shall consist of paint, chalk, fl ags, stakes, or any combination thereof and shall conform to the following standards of the American Public Works Association uniform color code:

WHITE

PINK

GREEN

PURPLE

BLUE

ORANGE

YELLOW

RED Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting Cables

Natural Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum, or Gaseous Materials

Communication, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit

Potable Water

Reclaimed Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines

Sewers and Drain Lines

Temporary Survey Markings

Proposed Excavating

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Call Before You Dig

I’ve waited my 2 business days…Now it is time to RESPECT THE MARKS!KRS 367.4909 (5)

• Marks may be in paint, fl ags or both

• Marks may be confusing. If you have any questions, you should contact the utility directly

KRS 367.4909 (6)If extraordinary circumstances exist, an operator shall notify the excavator of the operator’s inability to comply with this section. Extraordinary circumstances include extreme weather conditions, disasters, or civil unrest that makes timely response diffi cult or impossible.

KRS 367.4911 (6)If, after the two (2) day period provided by KRS 367.4909(4), the excavator fi nds evidence of an unmarked underground facility at the site; he shall immediately notify the protection notifi cation center.

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Call Before You Dig

Working within the tolerance zoneKRS 367.4911 (9)When excavation or demolition is necessary within the approximate location of the underground facility, the excavator shall hand-dig or use non-intrusive means to avoid damage to the underground facility.

Kentucky law requires that the excavator observe the tolerance zone during excavation:

An area equal to the width of the underground facility + 18 inches on each side. If no width is given by the utility, assume 2 inches.

Safe and prudent digging within the tolerance zone allows you to expose the facility on all sides.

Methods of excavation within a specifi ed tolerance zone include, but are not limited to:• Hand digging• Pot holing• Vacuum excavation

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Call Before You Dig

Faded or Missing MarksKRS 367.4911(7)The excavator shall contact the protection notifi cation center to request remarking every twenty-one (21) days while excavation or demolition continues or if:

(a) The markings of any underground facility have been removed or are no longer visible; or

(b) The excavator has changed the work plan or location previously fi led.

Rain, snow, lawn mowing, traffi c or other activities may cause you to lose your marks. Should this occur, notify Kentucky 811 immediately and have your locate identifi cation number ready to request a remark. An additional 2 business day notice is required so PLAN accordingly.

I see my locate marksNow I can DIG WITH CARE?YOU have plannedYOU have made the necessary callsYOU are now ready to dig...

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Call Before You Dig

Additional Information for ExcavatorsKRS 367.4911If more than one (1) excavator will operate at the same site, each excavator shall notify the protection notifi cation centers individually. Notifi cation by an excavator will serve as notifi cation for any of that excavator’s employees. Failure by an excavator to notify the protection notifi cation center does not relieve individual employees of responsibility.

The excavator shall inform and provide to excavation or demolition site employees:

(a) The underground facility location provided by each operator;

(b) Any related safety information provided by each operator; and

(c) The locate request identifi cation number assigned by the protection notifi cation center.

The excavator shall protect and preserve temporaryunderground facility markers until the scheduled excavation or demolition is completed.

Directional Boring or Horizontal Directional Drilling excavators should always properly expose and support each utility facility at each crossing. Always refer to your HDD Guidelines Book for suggestions when digging within the tolerance zone with this equipment.Natural gas and petroleum companies may have additional guidelines for their facilities.

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Call Before You Dig

What is an Excavation?KRS 367.4903 (6)“Excavation” means any activity that results in the movement, placement, probing, boring, or removal of earth, rock or other material in or on the ground by the use of any tools or equipment, or by the discharge of explosives.

Forms of excavating include but are not limited to:• grading • trenching • digging • ditching • dredging • drilling • auguring • tunneling • scraping • moving • wrecking • razing• blasting • cable or pipe plowing or driving• setting poles/pipes • driving survey pins• installing sign poles • backfi lling • pulling-in • boring holes for percolation tests • piling• probing

What is Demolition?KRS 367.4903 (3)“Demolition” means any operation by which a structure or mass of material is wrecked, razed, moved, or removed by means of mechanized equipment, or discharge of explosives.

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Call Before You Dig

What to do if a damage or “hit” occursKRS 367.4903“Damage” means weakening of structural or lateral support or penetration of a facility coating, housing, or other protective device. It also means the partial or complete dislocation or severance of underground facilities.

KRS 367.4911 (8)Each excavator who conducts or is responsible for any excavation or demolition that results in underground facility damage shall cease excavation or demolition activities and notify all affected operators of the location and nature of the underground facility damage. (a) If the underground facility damage causes

concern for public or workplace safety, the excavator shall notify appropriate public safety agencies of the location and nature of the safety concern.

(b) If the underground facility damage results in the escape of any fl ammable, toxic, or corrosive gas or liquid, the excavator shall cease excavation or demolition activities and immediately report to the appropriate authorities by calling the 911 emergency telephone number.

You should always have an updated list of emergency contact numbers for the excavation area including law enforcement, fi re and utilities.

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Call Before You Dig

A list of “do’s” during excavation• “Do” keep a reasonable clearance between

any underground facility and the cutting edge or point of powered equipment.

• “Do” protect and preserve the color-coded markings until those markings are no longer needed for proper and safe excavation.

• “Do” call for a remark if the markings are destroyed or removed before excavation is complete and allow 2 business days to remark the site.

• “Do” be sure someone other than the equipment operator, i.e. the spotter, is there to look for any sign of the underground facility.

• “Do” conduct the excavation near the underground facility carefully. Excavate by hand, if necessary, to be able to tell the exact location of the line and to prevent damage.

• “Do” protect and support exposed facilities during construction and then take care while backfi lling to maintain support to prevent damage. Be sure that backfi ll materials are free of any material that could damage the facility.

• “Do” request markings in segments as excavation progresses on projects that cover a large area and progress from one area to the next over a period of time in order to coordinate markings with actual excavation.

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Call Before You Dig

A list of “don’ts” during excavation• “Don’t” assume that a pipeline or cable runs

straight between line markers.

• “Don’t” assume the depth of a utility. Never assume that an underground facility is the same depth throughout the entire route of the excavation.

• “Don’t” excavate within the tolerance zone with any other equipment except what has been recommended in this guide.

• “Don’t” phone in emergency locates that aren’t really emergencies.

• “Don’t” refresh the utility locators marks with your own paint. Call Kentucky 811 for a remark.

• “Don’t” work on someone else’s ticket number.

• “Don’t” assume all utilities have responded to your request. Assess the proposed excavation area for indications of unmarked facilities.

• “Don’t” assume that permanent pipeline markers represent the exact location of the buried facility.

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Call Before You Dig

THINGS TO REMEMBERThe Kentucky 811 center operates 24-hours a day 7-days a week 365 days a year, answering calls from anyone who intends to dig in the state of Kentucky.

Call:811 or 800-752-6007Check us out online:

www.kentucky811.org

The 2 business day notice for utilities to mark excludes Saturdays, Sundays and Legal Holidays as indicated in KRS 367.4903 (12)

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Call Before You Dig

Common Ground Alliance (CGA)Damage Prevention is a Shared Responsibility

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is a member-driven association dedicated to ensuring public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services by promoting effective damage prevention practices. In recent years, the association has established itself as the leading organization in an effort to reduce damages to all underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

In promoting a spirit of shared responsibility, the CGA welcomes all stakeholders who would like to be a part of the identifi cation and promotion of best practices that lead to a reduction in damage. Any “best practices,” endorsed by the CGA come with consensus support from experts representing the following stakeholder groups: Excavators, Locators, Road Builders, Electric, Telecommunications, Oil, Gas, Railroad, Water, One Call, Public Works, Equipment Manufacturing, State Regulators, Insurance, Emergency Services and Engineering/Design.

Since inception, the CGA has grown to over 1,400 individual members, 165 member organizations, and 40 sponsors.

Purpose

The Purpose of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is to prevent damage to underground infrastructure by:

• Fostering a sense of shared responsibility for the protection of underground facilities; • Supporting research; • Developing and conducting public awareness and education programs; • Identifying and disseminating the stakeholder best practices such as those embodied in the Common Ground Study; and, • Serving as a clearinghouse for damage data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

For More Information

www.commongroundalliance.com – For general information and to learn how to become a member

www.call811.com – For information regarding 811, the national Call Before You Dig number

www.cga-dirt.com- For information on utility near-miss and damage data collection

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Call Before You Dig

Educational web sitesKentucky 811 .......................................... www.kentucky811.org

Indiana 811 ................................................www.indiana811.org

Tennessee 811 .............................................www.tnonecall.com

Miss Utility of West Virginia .................................www.muwv.org

Ohio Utilities Protection Service ............................www.oups.org

Julie (Illinois) ............................................. www.illinois1call.com

Missouri One Call ........................................... www.mo1call.com

Common Ground Alliance ....... www.commongroundalliance.com

811...................................................................www.call811.org

Kentucky Legislature Home Page ........................ www.lrc.ky.gov

Kentucky Telephone Association .....................www.ktaoffi ce.org

Kentucky Cable Telecommunications Association .....................www.kycable.com

Kentucky Association of General Contractors ...... www.agcky.org

American Public Works Association-KY Chapter ........................................... www.kentucky.apwa.net

Kentucky Association of Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors ........................... www.kaphcc.com

Kentucky Rural Water Association ........................ www.krwa.org

Associated General Contractors .............................www.AGC.org

Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration .................................. www.phmsa.dot.gov

Municipal Electric Power Association of Kentucky .......................................................www.mepak.org

Kentucky Gas Association ................................... www.kygas.org

American Public Gas .............................................www.apga.org

Kentucky Public Service Commission .................www.psc.ky.gov

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Call Before You Dig

Web Ticket EntryWeb Ticket Entry puts you in control of the locate process! Some of the benefi ts of Web Ticket Entry include:

• You have the freedom to enter locate requests at your convenience 24 hours a day.

• Avoid holding on the phone, especially during the Call Center’s busier times.

• It offers a secure and easy to use way to organize and record your locate requests.

• You can enter your Remark tickets also online before your original tickets expire to keep the markings fresh and clearly visible.

• Multiple users within your organization can be set up to use the system and each will have individual User information.

For information on many other helpful topics and to schedule training for Web Ticket Entry visit us at www.kentucky811.org.

Tolerance Zone: Width of Underground Facility Plus 18" on Each Side.

WHITE

PINK

GREEN

PURPLE

BLUE

ORANGE

YELLOW

RED Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting Cables

Natural Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum, or Gaseous Materials

Communication, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit

Potable Water

Reclaimed Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines

Sewers and Drain Lines

Temporary Survey Markings

Proposed Excavating

COLOR CODESFOR LOCATING UTILITY LINES