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| Always pre-mark your dig area |
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| Do you have a project that involves digging? If so, be sure to pre-mark your dig area to indicate exactly where your excavation will take place. |
| Order our FREE worker safety kit on the Xcel Energy e-SMARTworkers website. |
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| What is pre-marking? Why is it important? |
| Pre-marking, also known as white-lining or white-marking, involves outlining the boundaries of your proposed dig area or route. Pre-marks prevent confusion, delays and errors by showing utility-locate personnel exactly where your excavation will take place. |
| Pre-marking tips |
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Outline the boundaries of your proposed dig area or route either: |
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Physically with white paint, flags and/or stakes before you contact the 811 service. |
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Virtually through electronic data entry (electronic white-lining), where available through your 811 center, when making your locate request. |
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When spray painting, use a continuous line, dots or dashes 6 to 12 inches long. |
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For trenching, boring or other continuous-type excavations, mark the proposed centerline, and use arrows to show the direction of your excavation. |
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Include your company name at reasonable intervals. |
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When you contact the 811 center with your locate request, let them know you have pre-marked, and explain where on the property the locator can find your marks. |
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| Always contact your state 811 center before digging and for the most current requirements. Visit call811.org. |
| Would you like to know more? |
| Additional overhead and digging guidelines, emergency procedures, case studies, instructional videos and training tools can all be found, at no charge to you, on Xcel Energy’s e‑SMARTworkers website. |
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| To reach your state’s underground utility locate service/one‑call center, call 811 or visit their online site by clicking on your state’s name below. |
| The required “business day” wait time for each state is as follows (excludes weekends and legal holidays): |
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