--- title: The Importance of Safe Digging description: "Missouri 811 serves as a vital communication link between individuals planning to dig and utility owners. Their role is to ensure that any planned excavation doesn't damage the underground utilities. The process is simple but crucial: \"Safety is in your hands. Every dig. Every time.\"" image: https://blog.missouri-811.org/hubfs/july%20blog%20header%20copy.jpg --- [![MOCS Full Color Horizontal](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hs-fs/hubfs/MOCS%20Full%20Color%20Horizontal.png?width=400&height=150&name=MOCS%20Full%20Color%20Horizontal.png "MOCS Full Color Horizontal")](https://missouri-811.org/) - [HOMEOWNERS](https://missouri-811.org/homeowners/) - [EXCAVATORS](https://missouri-811.org/excavators/) - [UTILITY MEMBERS](https://missouri-811.org/members/) - [RESOURCES](https://missouri-811.org/resources/) - [FIELD EDUCATION & TRAINING](https://missouri-811.org/field-education-training/request-training/) - [ENFORCEMENT](https://missouri-811.org/enforcement/) - [MEETINGS & EVENTS](https://missouri-811.org/meetings-events/) - [ABOUT](https://missouri-811.org/about/) - [HOMEOWNERS](https://missouri-811.org/homeowners/) - [EXCAVATORS](https://missouri-811.org/excavators/) - [UTILITY MEMBERS](https://missouri-811.org/members/) - [RESOURCES](https://missouri-811.org/resources/) - [FIELD EDUCATION & TRAINING](https://missouri-811.org/field-education-training/request-training/) - [ENFORCEMENT](https://missouri-811.org/enforcement/) - [MEETINGS & EVENTS](https://missouri-811.org/meetings-events/) - [ABOUT](https://missouri-811.org/about/) Search Search - [811](tel:+811) - [811](tel:+811) Search Search ![Safety is in your hands](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hubfs/july%20blog%20header%20copy.jpg) Jul 31, 2023 2:53:51 PM | [News](https://blog.missouri-811.org/tag/news) # The Importance of Safe Digging Missouri 811 serves as a vital communication link between individuals planning to dig and utility owners. Their role is to ensure that any planned excavation doesn't damage the underground utilities. The process is simple but crucial: "Safety is in your hands. Every dig. Every time." Share - [mailto:?&subject=The%20Importance%20of%20Safe%20Digging&body=The%20Importance%20of%20Safe%20Digging%0A(https%3A%2F%2Fblog.missouri-811.org%2Fthe-importance-of-safe-digging)](mailto:?&subject=The%20Importance%20of%20Safe%20Digging&body=The%20Importance%20of%20Safe%20Digging%0A(https%3A%2F%2Fblog.missouri-811.org%2Fthe-importance-of-safe-digging)) - - - **The Importance of Safe Digging: Insights from Missouri 811** It’s a sunny day, and you’ve just decided to kick off a gardening project, maybe installing a new fence or planting a beautiful tree. But before you pick up that shovel and start digging, there's an essential step that should never be ignored: practicing safe digging. This crucial action is championed by an organization known as Missouri 811. So, why is safe digging so important? The ground beneath our feet is much more than soil and earth. It's a complex network of utilities that are critical to everyday life, including gas, water, electric, sewer, and telecommunications lines. When these utilities are struck during digging, the consequences can be dire, ranging from disrupted services and expensive repairs to serious injuries and even fatalities. **Missouri 811: Making Digging Safer** Missouri 811 serves as a vital communication link between individuals planning to dig and utility owners. Their role is to ensure that any planned excavation doesn't damage the underground utilities. The process is simple but crucial: "Safety is in your hands. Every dig. Every time." When you make a call to Missouri 811, they notify the utility companies of your intent to dig in the predefined location. The utility companies then send a professional locator to mark the approximate location of their lines on your property. Once all the public utility lines are marked, it is now safe to start your digging project by avoiding the marked areas and exercising extreme caution when digging near these marks. This service is not just for big companies with large construction projects. Homeowners and professional excavators alike are required to request a locate. Whether you're planting a tree, installing a mailbox, or starting on a new addition, if your project requires digging of any kind, you need to contact Missouri 811 to locate the public utilities under the soil first. Best of all, this service is completely free, removing any barriers to practicing safe digging. **Why Safe Digging Matters** Every six minutes, an underground utility is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. This statistic highlights the real risks of digging without the proper precautions. By contacting Missouri 811 before you dig, you are doing more than just preventing damage. You're helping to ensure that utilities remain reliable for your community. You're avoiding potential fines and repair costs. Most importantly, you're keeping yourself and those around you safe. Safe digging is a shared responsibility. No project is too small or insignificant to warrant a call. So, next time you're ready to break ground, remember: Click or call before you dig. Your safety, your community, and your peace of mind will thank you. As we dive into our various projects, let's remember the critical role we play in keeping our communities safe. Safe digging is no minor matter—it is a practice that protects us, our neighborhoods, and the complex, crucial utility networks that power our daily lives. Thanks to services like Missouri 811, practicing safe digging is just a click or a phone call away. It's a small step, but its impact can be significant. ![Missouri 811](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Facebook%20Profile.png?width=70&name=Facebook%20Profile.png) ### Written By: Missouri 811 ## You May Also Like ### [![The Importance of Safe Digging](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hubfs/Artboard%2016.png) *Mar 20, 2024 10:45:39 AM | News* Missouri 811 - How the Process Works](https://blog.missouri-811.org/missouri-811-how-the-process-works) ### [![The Importance of Safe Digging](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hubfs/blog%20header%20graphic.png) *Jul 29, 2024 12:27:30 PM | News* Accuracy in Excavation with Missouri 811’s Tools](https://blog.missouri-811.org/accuracy-in-excavation-with-missouri-811s-tools) ### [![The Importance of Safe Digging](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hubfs/locator%20feature%20image.png) *Sep 18, 2024 7:00:00 AM | News* A Day in the Life of a Locator](https://blog.missouri-811.org/adayinthelifeofalocator) [Learn More](https://www.example.com) [![Missouri 811_Logo_Full Color Reversed Stacked](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Missouri%20811_Logo_Full%20Color%20Reversed%20Stacked.png?width=1184&height=976&name=Missouri%20811_Logo_Full%20Color%20Reversed%20Stacked.png "Missouri 811_Logo_Full Color Reversed Stacked")](https://missouri-811.org) ## **PLACE A LOCATE REQUEST** [**CALL 811**](tel:811) Download the App: [![google-play-badge-1](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hubfs/Imported%20sitepage%20images/google-play-badge-1.png "google-play-badge-1")](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.occ.mocs&hl=en_US&gl=US) [![Download_on_the_App_Store_Badge_US](https://blog.missouri-811.org/hubfs/Imported%20sitepage%20images/Download_on_the_App_Store_Badge_US.png "Download_on_the_App_Store_Badge_US")](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/missouri-one-call-system/id1462376234) Office: 573.635.1818 824 Weathered Rock Rd Jefferson City, MO 65101 ## **Follow us on social media.** Stay informed on the latest news and regulation changes. **Always remember to place your locate requests at least 3 working days before you dig. State and federal holidays are NOT considered a working day.** [**Observed Holidays**](https://oa.mo.gov/commissioner/state-holidays): New Year's Day | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Lincoln's Birthday | Washington's Birthday | Truman Day | Memorial Day | Juneteenth | Independence Day | Labor Day | Columbus Day | Veterans Day | Thanksgiving Day | Christmas Day © Missouri 811. All rights reserved.