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| Safe Hand-Digging Practices |
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| Buried power lines and natural gas pipelines can be easily damaged and are dangerous to contact—even while digging by hand. Whenever you hand dig near buried utility lines, follow these tips to work safely. |
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| Hand-Digging Tips |
| Protect underground utility lines from damage and protect yourself from injury: |
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Always contact your state 811 center before digging and for the most current requirements. |
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Use a rounded or blunt-edged shovel. Sharp tools like pickaxes, mattocks, pry bars or pointed spades may gouge or puncture lines. |
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Start your digging off to the side of the marked utility line. Use a gentle, prying motion to break away soil as you approach the utility laterally. |
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Never pry against a utility line to remove soil, and never stab at the soil or stomp on the shovel with both feet.
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Prevent Muscle Strain and Injury
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Always wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Don’t twist your torso to move the dirt; move your feet to turn your entire body. Alternate shoveling between your left and right sides. Take care to prevent muscle strain, and take breaks to prevent fatigue.
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| Report ALL Damage |
Even a slight gouge, scrape or dent to a utility conduit or its coating may interrupt service or cause a hazard. Protect all exposed utility lines and check them regularly for damage. Before you backfill, check them again.
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If you contact a utility line, immediately report it to 911 and NIPSCO at 800-634-3524 (for gas contacts) or 800-464-7726 (for electrical contacts), even if damage is not readily apparent. Our crews will inspect the line and make the necessary repairs.
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If natural gas is leaking, federal law requires you to call 911 immediately.
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| Would You Like to Know More? |
| Additional utility safety tips, case studies, instructional videos and training tools can all be found, at no charge to you, on NIPSCO's e‑SMARTworkers website. |
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