In the campaign this year, Oklahoma Natural Gas is focused on continued education of the allowable tolerance zone for excavation, why and how to call 811 to have underground lines marked and what the color of each flag represents.
“Given the current COVID-19 shelter-in-place situation, we prefer any non-essential digging projects be postponed to help protect all critical infrastructure, including natural gas, water, sewer and internet,” said Cherokee Ballard, Public Relations Manager for Oklahoma Natural Gas. “Contractors who come into contact with a natural gas line risk injuries and large-scale outages.”
“While we are requesting businesses and large construction projects to hold off on any non-essential digging and excavation, we also understand people will be looking to spend time on yard projects as they follow ‘safer-at-home’ guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Ballard.
“Celebrating April as safe digging month is a good reminder for everyone.”
With current COVID-19 safety precautions in place, if a line is damaged, Oklahoma Natural Gas may not be able to enter a home or business to restore gas service to customers.
As a reminder, everyone whose project disturbs the ground needs to call 811 at least 48 hours before starting a project. The underground utility lines within the designated project area will get marked with flags and/or paint at no cost to the home or business owner.
Learn more at BeADigHeroOklahoma.com.
If you can postpone your digging projects, we can help prepare you for a safe and successful project through our interactive Be A Dig Hero campaign that includes:
- An entertaining, animated video that illustrates the lives of underground pipes.
- An online quiz to test your knowledge before starting your digging project.
- An overview of what the various flag colors posted on the ground represent.
- Safe digging coloring sheets to keep your kids busy.
