Outside force damage is a leading cause of pipeline incidents across the nation. While great strides have been made by utilities and transmission pipeline operators to prevent damage to their underground assets, these incidents still occur.
 Pipeline operators take many steps to prevent damage to their systems, including regular safety patrols by foot, vehicle and aircraft. These patrols focus on signs of unauthorized right of way encroachment, or actual pipeline damage. Pipeline markers are installed at many locations along the right of way, including at all road crossings to inform potential excavators about the presence of underground systems. Pipeline operators also participate in a wide range of damage prevention cooperative efforts, such as state one-call associations, as well as the newly established 811 national number for excavators.
While many of us think about excavators as construction companies operating backhoes and other heavy construction equipment, the term is much broader than that. Anyone that digs is considered an excavator. This includes homeowners or farmers that may be installing a fence using an auger. In many cases, homeowners assume that they know the location of buried utilities or that their excavation activities will not be deep enough to interfere with them. This thinking can sometimes lead to tragic results.
The term excavators, also includes loggers who may be crossing pipeline rights of way for access to wooded areas. Depending on their activities, land surveyors may also be considered excavators.
So why is this important to emergency responders? As our partner in safety, we need you to help spread the word about the importance of calling 811 before digging. You may have neighbors or family members that engage in excavation activities, or you yourself may be involved! Help us spread the word to your neighbors and family, call 811 before you dig so we can all achieve the common goal of reducing pipeline incidents through outside force damage.
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