MISS DIG 811 Continues to Support Facility Owners and Excavators, Offers Expanded Support and Communication for Members Performing Essential Work

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Apr 13, 2020, 09:34 ET

DETROIT, April 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the TCF Center accepts its first patients, the protection of the underground facilities that supply critical utility services is of the utmost importance. Working through its membership in the MISS DIG 811 System, the City of Detroit is communicating the precautionary work moratorium that went into effect April 2, 2020. Contractors working near the critical feeds for the center are being alerted through the MISS DIG 811 Positive Response System that they are working in an area impacted by a work moratorium. This response code was put in place to ensure there are no service interruptions to medical and temporary medical sites and instructs the excavator to reach out to this entity directly if the work is required.

"We hope other temporary medical sites make use of this free service," stated Bruce Campbell, CEO of MISS DIG 811. "The member services team at MISS DIG 811 will expedite set up to ensure the safety of the facilities and will make sure every resource is available to protect these medical sites."

Facility owners across the state have harnessed the MISS DIG 811 system to communicate their response to COVID-19 since March 20, 2020. At that time, Positive Response codes were made available to facility owners who were no longer able to comply with the requirement to mark their underground facilities. Through the mandatory Positive Response System, facility owners are given the option to notify contractors they are closed due to Executive Order 2020-42, provided they have reached out to the excavator as noted on the locate request about being unable to complete the marking.

The additional work type, "temporary emergency medical site," which is intended to communicate an emergency for a work type that, under normal circumstances, would be considered a non-urgent tent installation, was introduced on March 26, 2020. These tents needed to be installed quickly to meet the requirement that essential businesses screen employees prior to entering work sites. Through this new temporary work type, tents went up quickly and safely without damaging the underground infrastructure in the area.

MISS DIG 811 encourages the postponement of non-essential excavation but reminds homeowners and contractors that a MISS DIG 811 ticket is required by law. MISS DIG 811 is available 24/7 to process tickets online at www.missdig811.org or by phone at 8-1-1.

About MISS DIG

MISS DIG System, Inc. is a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation that operates as the Underground Utility Safety Notification System for the entire state. MISS DIG 811 has received over 21 million locate requests resulting in nearly 189 million transmissions since 1970.

MISS DIG 811 provides this free service to homeowners, excavators, municipalities and utility companies via their web-based locate requests - elocate.missdig811.org and rte.missdig811.org, or by placing a toll-free call to 811 or 800-482-7171. MISS DIG 811 processes that locate request by contacting over 1,700 members, who then come out and locate their facilities. The mission of MISS DIG System, Inc. is to safeguard the public, environment, property, and utility infrastructures and promote utility damage prevention through a quality, cost-effective process for our customers.

SOURCE MISS DIG 811