Call 811 Before You Dig

 

April is National Safe Digging Month and John Deere is a proud sponsor of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) and their efforts to raise awareness of 811 and promote safe digging. Though awareness and use of 811 has significantly decreased the number of underground utility strikes in the U.S., the fact that there are still fatalities and damages from hitting gas and utility lines underscores the need for a continued safety campaign.

"Through our support of CGA and 811, we strengthen our commitment to our customers. Our customers are our first focus and this initiative saves lives," said Michael Mack, Worldwide President, John Deere Construction & Forestry. "Beyond personal safety concerns, the potential property damage, inconvenient service outages and the hefty fines to equipment operators resulting from digging accidents makes the 811 service incredibly valuable."

Don't gamble with your safety—if you're a professional excavator, farmer, or homeowner, smart and safe digging always means a call to 811. Even rural lands and communities contain major oil and gas pipelines which must be avoided while digging to prevent deadly accidents. Call 811 from anywhere in the country a few days prior to digging to get your underground utility lines marked for free. Tell the operator where you're planning to dig, what type of work you'll be doing, and local utility companies will send someone to mark underground lines, pipes and cables, so you'll know what's below—and be able to dig safely.

For more information, visit the Call 811 website.