Spring Welcomes National Safe Digging Month

Gaines and Company’s professional dirt-moving services are done the right way. Crews know what is below the ground before digging into the dirt, keeping themselves and the communities they serve out of harm’s way.

Spring is here (finally!), and that means outdoor projects – from amateur home gardens to professional site development work – will be picking up. With this increase of digging projects, April is recognized as National Safe Digging Month.

Safe Digging Month is celebrated across the United States as a reminder that digging is more than sticking a shovel in the ground. You first must know what’s under that dirt.

Contact 811

811 is the national call-before-you-dig number. They are the ones that coordinate locating and marking underground utility lines, protecting you and your community from potential injury and utility service disruptions.
But 40% of digging projects don’t first start with 811. Why is that? Maybe the area has been successfully dug before. Maybe there wasn’t enough time. Maybe 811 just wasn’t known about. But utility lines aren’t always laid as deep as you’d think. Erosion brings lines closer to the surface. And the process of locating lines is simple when planned into project timelines.

Safety Director Dominic Pope (middle) accepts Miss Utililty’s 2023 Dig Smart Award on behalf of the entire Gaines and Company organization.

Gaines Awarded the Miss Utility Dig Smart Award

The expert site developers at Gaines and Company have been recognized by Miss Utility on several occasions for leading Maryland’s construction industry with safe digging practices.

“We understand the importance of knowing what’s under the dirt before we dig into it,” said Gaines and Company Safety Director Dominic Pope. “Before we start digging, we work with 811 to check and double check to make sure we’re not digging into utility lines that could cause harm or disrupt services.”

How 811 Works

811 describes the process for professional excavators, like those at Gaines and Company:

1. Notify. Make an online request 2-3 days before your digging project is to begin.
2. Wait. On average, 7-8 utility operators are notified per request. Allow time for utilities to mark buried lines.
3. Confirm. Confirm that all utility operators have marked your project area.
4. Respect. Use the utility markers as a guide for your project.
5. Dig Carefully. Do not use mechanical equipment within the “tolerance zone”, or the space surrounding the identified lines.

Refer to the 811 website for state-specific requirements and guidelines.

“Respecting the work of 811 is vital to any digging project, especially the large-scale site development projects we work on,” added Dominic. “We are using the month of April to remind our employees of the importance of knowing what’s underground not just this month, but all year long.”