COLUMBIA, S.C. — Marion Leaphart works for the infrastructure consulting company Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering. He recalls the horror stories of people who don't follow protocols when digging into the grounds. He was one of the many people who attended a demonstration hosted by South Carolina 811 on Wednesday.
SC 811 is the 'call or click before you dig' call center for the state. After making a request via the phone or online, crews will come out to the property and mark communication, gas, and electric lines to show where you should avoid digging.
The event on Wednesday took place at the South Carolina Fire Academy with a crowd of contractors and other construction workers.
Misty Wise is the executive director at SC 811. She says the best way to prevent the majority of gas line breaks is to submit a request at least 3 days before you plan to break ground and get approval.
"In the United States a few years ago, we had estimates that showed about every nine minutes, a facility is hit. If a locate request is called in or put in on our online system, it reduces that to about 1%."
Demonstrators braved the heat to give examples of the right and wrong way to dig. They started by marking lines with flags and spray paint. During the second demonstration, workers neglected those precautions and dug into a fake gas line. Emergency service crews then arrived to show how they respond.
All this, Wise hopes, will make people think before they dig.
"I can tell you that if it was a transmission line hit of sorts, it would pretty much demolish that entire area out there, with obviously loss of life."
If you plan on digging soon, call 811 or visit their website here to make a request.