Minnesotans itching to break ground on their spring projects from flower beds to decks are being reminded of a crucial step – hitting up 811 before chatting with 911, officials from the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) emphasize the significant, but often overlooked, safety measure. With the recent unfurling of blossoms and greener grass calling for a season's turn and the communal urge to beautify and build upon our plots of earth, the OPS stresses the importance of making that preemptive call to 811, ensuring that the warming embrace of the sun isn't overshadowed by the chill of an avoidable disaster.
Small-scale undertakings such as replacing a mailbox or larger ventures like erecting a new deck carry risks that loom just beneath our ambitions, concealed in the seemingly inert soil; here lies the network of our modern conveniences – gas, water, and communication lines, just a careless strike away from rupture and the worst-case scenario—explosion or significant outages, "You want to call 811 or file an online ticket now, so you don't have to call 911 later," according to the MNOPS website.
It bears repeating, and OPS does not shy from reiteration: the act of dialing 811 or filing an online ticket is not just a recommendation, it's backed by the force of law in Minnesota. The simple, three-step dance to legal and safe digging includes a call to 811 at least two business days before you dig, marking your intended excavation site for utility-locating offices to do their mystical cartography with sprays and flags, and then the diligent interpretation and respect for these marks as you tackle the earth with a tempered blade, by hand.
Time may heal all wounds but it’s no friend to the subterranean infrastructures we so rely upon; erosion and settling soil can shift and reposition these hidden veins over time, so even familiar territory warrants a fresh call, and when reaching out to Gopher State One Call (GSOC), be prepared, for they shall inquire with specificity: your name, number, address, nature of work to be conducted, location details, and time frame, GSOC further suggests that you dress your dig area with white markers, a tradition that speaks to the gods of gas and cable, allowing them a canvas to sketch upon according to MNOPS.
Whether you're a seasoned earthmover or a novice nurturer of a nascent garden, make the call, dot your lawn with markers, and fold patience into your process. To let carelessness reign is to invite chaos, an unwelcome guest amongst the spring's renewal. Minnesota's Office of Pipeline Safety, wielding the sobering statistics and truths of subterranean hazards, beckons you to heed their call—before you dig into your next outdoor ambition, carve out a moment to dial 811, lest your spring daydreams fray at the edges under the wail of sirens. For more information, detailed procedures, and the how-tos of safe digging, the MNOPS beckons you, to visit their website.
