4/26/2012 - West Side Leader
     

OHIO — With the arrival of the spring construction season, Dominion East Ohio reminds homeowners and excavating contractors to dig safely and comply with the state law by calling the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) toll-free at either 8-1-1 or 800-362-2764 before excavating.

To prevent potential injuries from accidental utility line dig-ins, state law requires customers and contractors to call the OUPS at least two working days before digging. Third-party damage is the leading cause of accidents involving utility lines, according to Dominion officials.

The OUPS will alert Dominion and other participating utilities of customer and contractor plans to dig. The OUPS will ask these utilities to mark the approximate location of their underground gas lines and utility cables so that customers won’t find them by accident. Also, for safety’s sake, customers and contractors should only dig around utility lines by hand, according to Dominion officials.

For more natural gas safety information, visit www.dom.com/about/safety/contractor-safety.jsp, www.domsafety.com or www.safegasohio.org.

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