April 19, 2022 3:00 a.m.

April is Oregon Dig Safely Month, and the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division and the Oregon Public Utility Commission remind Oregonians to call 811 before digging.

The release said both professional contractors and do-it-yourselfers play an important role in preventing damage to underground utilities. No matter how big or small a project is, calling 811 will avoid life-threatening injuries and prevent costly damage to necessary utility services. Steps for safe digging in Oregon include:

*Call Oregon 811 at least two working days before starting a digging project

*Wait for utilities to mark the underground lines

*Dig carefully, paying close attention to the marks

Once a call to 811 is made, the Oregon Utility Notification Center, which operates the free 811 one-call center, notifies the utility companies that serve the area of the planned project. Utility personnel then visit the project site to mark the approximate location of the underground lines, pipes and cables in the planned digging area at no cost to the homeowner or employer.

Call 811 or go to: https://digsafelyoregon.com/resources/locate-requests/ to submit a locate request or to learn more about safe digging practices.