Category Archives: 811

Christina Nyquist What is Your Natural Gas Utility doing to Help Prevent Pipeline Damage?

Posted on April 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment


April has flown by and believe it or not, we’re almost to the end of National Safe Digging Month (NSDM). All month, your local utility has been busy getting the word out in your community about the simple steps everyone should take to help prevent pipeline damage and accidents. Homeowners, construction workers and landscapers must remember to Call 811, the free telephone call to locate utility lines, before beginning any type of digging project large or small. Excavation damage is the leading cause of all pipeline accidents, so dialing these three numbers really can make a difference in helping to save lives and prevent property damage.

Natural gas utilities work to get this message out through bill inserts, social media, local newspapers, and TV and radio stations, especially during NSDM. Some have found even more creative ways to spread the word to the public. Alliant Energy lit up the Iowa night sky with their safety message, illuminating the building windows with 811. At 21 floors high, Alliant Energy’s building is the tallest in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, making it a prime location for this important message.

811 300x165 What is Your Natural Gas Utility doing to Help Prevent Pipeline Damage?

Piedmont Natural Gas in North Carolina teamed up with local Girl Scouts, as well as a neighborhood hardware and garden store for a day of “tree tagging” to remind gardeners to call 811 before they begin spring projects. The Girl Scouts worked with the manager of The Gardens of Blackhawk Hardware to tag trees and shrubs with 811 notices.

Girl Scouts 300x300 What is Your Natural Gas Utility doing to Help Prevent Pipeline Damage? And Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in California is spearheading efforts to set up 811 Task Forces with local emergency responders and other key partners to develop coordinated and proactive efforts to address excavation damage and raise awareness. This month, PG&E has also conducted emergency responder trainings for local fire, police and emergency service departments.

There are many ways for you to get involved with NSDM too. There’s still time to try your luck with the Call 811 Campaign’s “Can You Dig It?” online game. Great prizes for the lucky winners include an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire HD, Apple TV, gift cards and more. So check out the game, and remember to tell friends and family to make the 811 Promise.

And if you are doing something to raise awareness about safe digging, let us know in the comments below.

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Christina Nyquist Don’t be a Fool – Call 811 before You Dig

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment


April is National Safe Digging Month

What if I told you I had the secret to preventing most pipeline damage and accidents – the secret to saving lives and property? What if I told you that secret was as easy as dialing three numbers?

No, this is not an April Fool’s trick. It’s Call before You Dig, the very serious message being promoted this month by utilities and safety advocates across the country, coordinated by the Common Ground Alliance. The process is simple – before you start ANY digging project, dial 811 to make sure you know where your underground utility lines are. Both the call and the service are free.

811Eng hor CMYK 300x108 Don’t be a Fool – Call 811 before You Dig

Excavation damage is the leading cause of pipeline incidents in the United States. A pipeline is damaged once every eight minutes due to digging and construction activity, most of which could have been prevented if diggers followed proper protocol. Damage can result in power outages, expensive repairs and even loss of life. Safety is the American Gas Association’s (AGA) top priority, and we encourage you to help keep your friends and neighbors safe by spreading the word about safe digging.

Before you start any outdoor digging projects – even if it’s as simple as planting a tree or shrub, AGA and our members urge you to dial 811 to help ensure you avoid underground utility lines. By doing so, you’ll be connected to your local One Call Center, which will alert your local utility company. Crews will then locate any utility lines near your project and make sure they are properly marked so you can be sure to avoid them – all at no cost to you. It’s that simple. You can find out more about the process here.

Join AGA and our members across the country in observing National Safe Digging Month throughout the month of April. Here are three easy ways you can participate:

  1. Make the 811 Promise and ask your friends and family to do the same.
  2. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to see what your local gas utilities are doing to increase awareness in their communities, and spread the word to your followers.
  3. Show your support by changing your social media profile pictures or banners to the Call 811 logo.

Pledge to make the 811 Promise. Call 811 before you dig, and ask your friends and family to do the same. Not doing so would just be…foolish.

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Christina Nyquist 811: A Safe Investment

Posted on August 13, 2012 by | 3 Comments


We told you about our members’ 811 Day activities last Friday, but have you seen this video of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) ringing the closing bell with Verizon at the New York Stock Exchange?

Natural gas pipelines and many other vital services can be damaged or interrupted. Recognizing 811 at the NYSE is just another way to remind the public of just how important it is to call before you dig. An underground utility line is damaged during digging projects every three minutes nationwide.

811 NYSE2 300x224 811: A Safe Investment

CGA representatives Khrysanne Kerr, Erika Lee, and Bob Kipp stand at the podium before ringing the NYSE bell to kick off the 8/11 weekend. Photo credit: CGA Connect

Don’t forget to click here to make the 811 promise!

Posted in 811, energy, events | 3 Comments

Christina Nyquist Call before You Dig: How Can Three Numbers Save Lives?

Posted on August 10, 2012 by | 4 Comments


811 Day reminds us to prevent pipeline damage by calling 811 before digging.

Natural gas is the affordable, abundant and domestic foundation fuel that currently meets almost one-fourth of all energy used in the United States.

I could expound on the merits of natural gas for an entire blog entry, but this post is actually about how we deliver this energy in the safest and most responsible way possible.

Safety is the top priority for America’s natural gas utilities, but the industry can’t do it alone. Homeowners, businesses and private contractors can play a role in keeping us all safe by taking some very simple steps.

One of the simplest is dialing three little numbers – 811 –  before you undertake any sort of digging or excavation project. Excavation projects damage an underground utility line every three minutes in the United States, creating not just service disruptions and the need for expensive repairs, but also endangering public safety. In fact, digging is the leading cause of natural gas leaks. Making the choice to call first and dig safely can be a life or death decision.

“In the last 10 years alone, excavation damage to pipelines has resulted in nearly 200 deaths and injuries,” says Christina Sames, Vice President of Operations & Engineering at AGA. “That’s a staggering number of tragedies that could have been prevented.”

“AGA believes that any incident is one incident too many,” Sames says.

Local natural gas utilities have marked August 11 as 811 Day to raise awareness about 811 and get people to make the 811 Promise. It takes just five steps to make sure you’re digging safely, and you can’t complete the last four without first calling 811:

  1. Make a free call to 811 a few days before digging.
  2. Wait the required time.
  3. Locate accurately.
  4. Respect the marks.
  5. Dig with care.

“Unless you have X-Ray vision, it’s impossible to see the underground infrastructure that carries vital resources, such as natural gas, gasoline, water and electricity,” Sames explains. “Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before you dig will help protect you from injury and prevent damages to utilities, service disruptions and potential fines and repair costs.”

Check out the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) website to learn more about 811 Day and pipeline safety.

Spreading the Word about Safety

            All sectors of the natural gas industry have made the 811 Day campaign a priority, and along with press releases and media outreach, are engaging in innovative, grassroots tactics to spread the word and educate homeowners and businesses about this crucial resource. Here are just some examples:

Pipeline Operators Develop Largest-Ever Single-Day 811 Advertising Campaign

  • A group of pipeline operators, including 11 AGA members, are engaged in a national ad campaign targeting major events and programs to air 811 ads on August 11 that is designed to reach 35 million adults nationwide.

Kansas Gas Service, OK Natural Gas, Texas Gas Service

  •  The ONEOK companies conduct a four-day Twitter campaign to spread the word to thousands of followers about pipeline safety and safe digging.

Atmos Energy Digital Campaign

  •  Atmos Energy created a series of digital media, including video clips to spread to news outlets and publish online.

 Washington Gas hosts PHMSA representatives

  • In celebration of 811 Day, Washington Gas hosted  representatives from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and facilitated exercises to demonstrate safe practices and how first responders and utility companies work side-by-side responding to a pipeline incidents.

 

Posted in 811, safety | 4 Comments