PA One Call Promotes National Safe Digging Month in April

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Apr 05, 2010, 03:00 ET

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc. (West Mifflin, PA) and the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) remind homeowners to call 8-1-1 before starting an excavation project to avoid underground utilities and potential injury. A recent survey found more than half (57 percent) of Americans who plan to excavate on their property this year do not plan to notify by dialing 8-1-1. Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can cause serious injuries, service disruptions and repair costs if a line is damaged.

The PA Governor's Office, the PA State Senate and the PA House of Representatives have proclaimed April as "Safe Digging Month" for the tenth consecutive year. For the second year in a row, CGA's 1,400 members and governors across the country have also proclaimed April as National Safe Digging Month as a way to bring extra attention to increase the number of people who call 8-1-1 before beginning an excavation project.

Everyone in Pennsylvania who calls 8-1-1 three business days before digging is connected to PA One Call, The Call-Before-You-Dig center for the Commonwealth. Friendly and helpful Customer Service Representatives take the caller's information and communicate it to local utility companies. A professional locator will then visit the excavation site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint or flags. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas.

"If you plan on planting a tree, installing a deck or patio, or digging for a swimming pool, it is best to Know What's Below by calling 8-1-1 three business days before you excavate, "said President and Executive Director Bill Kiger. "More than 75,000 underground utility damages in 2008 could have been prevented with one simple phone call."

Safe Digging is No Accident. Help Pennsylvania One Call System and Common Ground Alliance prevent damage to underground utilities. Call 8-1-1 three business days before starting an excavation project.

Our purpose is to prevent damage to underground facilities. To promote safety, we provide an efficient and effective communications network among project owners, designers, excavators, and facility owners.

About Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc: PA One Call is the "Call Before You Dig" nonprofit that serves the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PA One Call began service to 6 underground facility members in 1972, and today serves more than 3,400 underground facility owner members and more than 100,000 contractors with 650,000 requests for notification and more than 6 million notifications per year. For more information, visit PA One Call on the web at www.paonecall.org.

About Common Ground Alliance (CGA): CGA is a member-driven association of nearly 1,400 individuals, organizations and sponsors in every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. CGA has established itself as the leading organization in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at www.commongroundalliance.com.

International Communications Research (ICR) conducted a national omnibus phone study between March 11 and 16, 2010, on behalf of CGA. A total of 749 American homeowners ages 18+ were asked for their opinions on home and property improvement project topics. The survey had a margin of error that varied from +-2.2 percent to +-5.7 percent, depending on the particular survey question.

SOURCE Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc.