2010 Dig Safe Reminder

New England Gas Company Urges Everyone to Dig Safe®. With the arrival of warmer temperatures and milder weather, thoughts are naturally turning towards working outdoors.
New England Gas Company (NEG) today is urging everyone to use caution when performing excavation work. Prior to beginning any outdoor construction or home improvement project that involves digging, excavating, trenching, grading or similar activities, NEG reminds excavators, homeowners, landscapers, contractors and all others to call Dig Safe® at 888-DIG-SAFE (344-7233). State law requires advance notice of at least 72 hours in Massachusetts (excluding weekends and holidays) before excavation can begin. Additionally, the area to be excavated must be marked before the utility companies will identify the location of their underground facilities.
"Calling Dig Safe® before beginning any excavation project is not just smart, it's the law," said James Kern, Construction Manager for New England Gas Company. "For anyone who is planning any excavation work - from construction companies to homeowners - safety begins with one call to Dig Safe®."
Dig Safe System, Inc. is a communication network assisting excavators, contractors and property owners in complying with state law by notifying the appropriate utilities before digging. Dig Safe®, a free service, notifies member companies of proposed excavation projects. In turn, these member utilities respond to the work area and identify the location of underground facilities.
Callers are given a permit number as confirmation. Member utilities, or contracted private locators, use paint, stakes or flags to identify the location of buried facilities. Color coding is used to identify the type of underground facilities:
• Red - Electric
• Yellow - Gas, Oil, Steam
• Pink – Survey Marks
• Blue - Potable Water
• Purple - Reclaimed Water
• Green - Sewer/Drainage
• Orange - Communications
• White- Proposed Excavation
New England Gas Company, headquartered in Fall River, serves residential and commercial customers in the Massachusetts towns of Fall River, North Attleboro, Plainville, Somerset, Swansea and Westport. It is a division of Southern Union Company (NYSE: SUG).