COLUMBIA – Ameren Missouri urges prospects and building crews to name 811 or analysis on-line earlier than any digging challenge because of uptick in injury in central Missouri.
There have been twice as many studies of excavation injury in July 2022 in comparison with July 2021, in line with Ameren.
Nationwide 811 Day is Aug. 11 (8/11). The day highlights the chance of unsafe digging practices, which embody gasoline leaks and critical outages. Prospects and excavation crews should name 1-800-DIG-RITE or 811 previous to any digging.
Pam Harrison, the director of gasoline operations at Ameren, says there may be nice concern because of the security danger these digs may cause.
“Calling 811 is a straightforward step that helps avert critical outages or gasoline leaks that would affect our whole group,” Harrison mentioned. “Nobody desires to be confronted with an harm or main utility disruption that would have been averted.”
Prospects and excavation crews are suggested to name 1-800-DIG-RITE or 811 previous to any digging. With each name, an expert will come to the property inside three enterprise days and mark the placement of all utility, telephone and cable strains to reduce dangers whereas digging.
Analysis has proven that those that name 811 previous to digging keep away from environmental or well being incidents 99% of the time.
Harrison says calling can cut back danger and assist prospects keep away from environmental incidents.
“We need to elevate consciousness of this development and encourage the general public to do their half in stopping injury to underground strains by calling 811 to have utilities marked,” Harrison mentioned.
Marking utility strains is free and a authorized requirement. Requests could be made anytime.
Ameren Missouri recommends ready till an expert locator comes out to mark pure gasoline, electrical, water, sewer, phone and cable strains. The approximate location of buried utilities will probably be marked with paint and flags so that you don’t unintentionally dig into an underground utility line. As soon as the location is marked, prospects can proceed to dig with warning.
Ameren additionally says it is very important have utilities freshly marked each time you dig, even you probably have had utilities marked for previous tasks.