Emphasizing the Need to Call 811 before Digging

Efforts are underway to promote farm safety by emphasizing the need to call 811 before beginning any digging or drain tile projects. More about that coming up on This Land Of Ours.

The Pipeline Operators for Ag Safety, a nonprofit campaign promoting farm and ranch safety near pipelines and underground utilities, are emphasizing the need to call 811 before beginning any digging or drain tile projects on your land.

They note some important facts to remember:

• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 56 million acres of farmland in the U.S. have drain tile installed below the surface to protect crops.
• Farming accidents involving pipelines and utility lines occur on average three times every day.
• Drain tile is often installed three to four feet below the surface. Pipelines and other utility lines are often located at this same depth.
• Marker signs indicate the general, but not exact, location of underground lines and they don’t indicate line depth. Underground pipeline and utility line depth varies.
• Pipeline and utility companies will locate the lines they own and maintain for free for farmers and private landowners.
• Hitting, nicking, and scraping an underground pipeline or utility line always results in damage.
• Underground pipelines and utility lines transport natural gas, electricity, crude oil, and other petroleum products that are considered hazardous materials by the federal government.
• Driving heavy equipment over pipelines and underground utility lines can impact them.
• When the one call system is utilized by calling 811 to have underground utilities located and marked, work is completed without damage 99% of the time.

Landowners are encouraged to visit FarmSafe811.org for more resources and information.

Listen to Randall Weiseman’s This Land of Ours program here.

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