Quick Start Guide Electric Utilities

SECTION 03: KEY SAFETY MESSAGES

Underground Damage Prevention

Why Address This Issue? Damage prevention is a critical topic for the general public and excavation contractors. Striking underground electric facilities while digging or boring may result in serious electrical contact injuries. In addition, damage to underground electric facilities from “dig-ins” and horizontal directional drilling strikes often causes service interruptions and burdens utilities with unnecessary repair and restoration costs. The frequency of these incidents may be significantly reduced by educating property owners, contractors, and other excavators about the need to notify one-call systems so that underground facilities may be located and marked prior to excavation. In almost all areas of the United States, electric utilities may improve the effectiveness of their underground damage prevention public safety education efforts by working cooperatively with area one-call systems.

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Developing a Public Safety Communications Program