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Today is ; August 11th highlights the significance of underground excavation safety when doing home projects. By reinforcing the importance of calling the national 811 hotline before digging, everyone can help prevent damage to underground utilities and ensure the safety of workers and homeowners alike.

In the United States, nearly every digging project, regardless of its size or location, requires contacting 811 a few days in advance of breaking ground. This free, national service connects homeowners with their local utility companies and others who may have infrastructure assets underground, who will mark the locations of underground lines such as gas, electric, and water pipes, as well as internet lines. By calling 811 before digging, homeowners can avoid accidentally damaging these lines, which can lead to injuries, property damage, loss of service, and costly repairs.

Excavation accidents are far too common, causing damage to underground utilities and posing a significant risk to public safety. According to the Common Ground Alliance’s (“CGA”) annual Report (issued in conjunction with CGA’s affiliated Damage Prevention Institute), over 213,000 excavation-related damages occurred in the United States in the year 2022 alone. However, data collection, transparency, and industry collaboration of the nature reflected in the DIRT Report are instrumental tools in the fight to mitigate the frequency of excavation-related accidents. We have been impressed with the work that CGA and the have done and would encourage others in the industry to join and participate.

Homeowners play a vital role in preventing excavation accidents by contacting 811 by phone or before any digging project, no matter how small. Even if you are just planting a tree, installing a fence, or building a deck, it's crucial to contact 811 to have underground utilities marked before you start digging.

Once a call comes in to 811, a Utility Locator will come out to mark the location of existing underground infrastructure by spray painting the sidewalk or lawn or putting in flags. Being a Utility Locator is a tough job. These individuals are helping to save lives by taking affirmative safety measures designed to avoid major damages that in extreme circumstances lead to loss of life. Please help us get this important message out by sharing with your neighbors that these Locators are doing this job as a public service. In fact, you might even want to thank a Locator next time you see them! By working together, we can create a safer environment for everyone and make sure everyone’s utility services stay online.

Our internet services should “just work”, and typically that is the case. The foundation of the internet is millions of miles of fiber optic cable that connect each of us to the online world. These cables are continuously at risk of damage from construction activities (and the same could be said for utilities as well). Locators are the first line of defense, working diligently to provide a safe working environment for excavators, and ensuring access to the internet whenever we need it.

Thank you for being proactive when it comes to making that 811 call - on 8/11 and every day. GFiber is committed to doing our part. We use 811 for all of our construction projects, and we’re going even further. By leveraging large public databases of historic utility damages, a detailed model of the GFiber network, and 811 locate tickets, GFiber is developing an AI model that can better predict when and where damage to our network may occur. This will allow GFiber to implement additional protective measures in high-risk areas.

Posted by Ariane Schaffer, Government Affairs & Public Policy Manager, & Kelly Bell, Network Deployment & Operations Lead