The Five Steps To A Safe Excavation

1) Call Before You Dig.

If you plan to dig or do any type of excavation work, New York State law requires you call Dig Safely New York Prior to doing so.

2) Wait the Required Time:

You need to provide two full working days notice prior to starting your work, not counting the day of your call, weekends or holidays. This provides time for the utilities to locate your proposed dig site.

3) Confirm Utility Response

Dig Safely New York will notify all member utilities of the pending excavation so that that they can come out and mark the location of their underground lines. Before digging on your stated commencement date confirm that all utilities have responded to you indicating they have marked your property or they have no facilities present.

4) Respect the Marks

Before you begin your excavation, walk through the site to familiarize yourself with the markings and the locations of buried facilities.

5) Dig With Care.

It is important excavators take a proactive approach to safety not only for themselves but for the public by initiating the One Call Process and adhering to the five steps of a safe excavation.