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Stop work immediately. If anyone may be in danger, move them well away and call 911. Then notify the affected utility operator and your local 811/one-call center. Do not touch, repair, cover, or resume excavation around the damaged line until the utility operator or emergency responders say it is safe.
Immediate response: what to do first
- Stop excavation. Shut down work near the line. Treat a strike, gouge, dent, broken coating, damaged cable sheath, or other suspected damage as reportable—even if there is no visible leak, outage, or immediate failure. Texas811 identifies gouges, dents, and coating or sheath damage as reportable, and Tennessee 811 includes damage to protective coating in its guidance. A line that appears to be working can still have damage that needs an operator’s inspection. Do not decide on your own that a small mark is harmless.
- Move people out of danger. If there is escaping gas or hazardous liquid, or another immediate threat, evacuate the area and call 911 from a safe location. Tennessee 811 advises moving upwind and uphill from escaping material. Do not approach or touch a damaged electrical line; keep others away and seek emergency assistance. Make sure workers and bystanders do not remain beside the excavation to watch or take photographs.
- For a suspected gas leak, avoid ignition sources. Texas811’s 2023 excavator guide advises walking a safe distance away before calling 911 if gas is leaking or spewing. It also says not to start a vehicle engine or use a cell phone until gas can no longer be smelled. Follow instructions from emergency responders and the utility. Do not return to the area to retrieve equipment or belongings while gas can still be smelled.
- Notify the operator and one-call center. Contact the affected utility operator promptly and report the damage through the local 811/one-call process. Follow any instructions about how to report and who must be notified. North Carolina directs immediate notification to both NC811 and the facility operator if known; Texas811 directs excavators to report through 811 and to call 911 for a hit or damaged gas line. If you do not know which operator owns the facility, report what you know to the one-call center and follow its guidance; do not delay emergency action while trying to identify the owner.
- Leave the line exposed and wait. Do not try to repair it, conceal it, or backfill the excavation. Let the operator inspect and make any necessary repairs. Do not resume excavation near the damaged facility or cover it until the operator authorizes it. Keep the area accessible for inspection, but do not disturb the line to make it easier to see.
- Prepare incident details. Be ready to give responders and the operator the site location, facility type, approximate time and nature of the damage, whether anyone was injured or evacuated, and what equipment was involved. California’s regulator requests these details. Ohio law, as reproduced by Ohio811, also lists the utility type and, if available, approximate size, material, color, and depth. Share only information you can provide safely and accurately.
When to call 911
Call 911 when the strike creates an immediate threat to people or property—for example, escaping gas or hazardous liquid, a fire, an injury, or another dangerous condition. First move away from the hazard; do not delay evacuation to make a report from beside the line. For gas, follow the local utility and emergency responders’ instructions about distance and ignition sources. A damaged electrical line should be treated as dangerous: do not touch it or approach it.
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Not every utility strike is the same emergency. A damaged line could involve different facilities and risks, so do not assume a situation is safe simply because it is not a gas line or because service has not failed. Stop work, keep people clear if there is a hazard, and promptly contact the operator and local one-call center for direction. If you are uncertain whether the conditions present an immediate danger, prioritize moving people away and contacting emergency responders rather than investigating the line yourself.
Emergency responders and utility personnel should take control of hazard mitigation and repair. Your role at the scene is to stop work, keep people out of danger, make the required notifications, and provide accurate information—not to diagnose the facility or attempt a temporary fix.
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Report the damage promptly—and follow local deadlines
Reporting requirements differ by state. There is no single reporting deadline in the guidance cited here that applies nationwide. Notify the affected utility and your local one-call center promptly, then follow their directions and the law where the work is taking place. An 811/one-call center can route a notification, but do not assume that reporting to one party automatically completes every notice required in your jurisdiction.
For example, California’s Underground Safety Board says damage to natural gas or hazardous-liquid infrastructure, high-priority facilities, damage causing qualifying injury, or a fatality must be reported within two hours. Other damage is reportable within 48 hours. Those deadlines are California-specific; they should not be applied to projects in other states. Check the requirements for the state where the work is happening, especially if you are supervising work across state lines.
Other jurisdictions use different rules and channels. North Carolina directs immediate notification to NC811 and the facility operator if known. Ohio Revised Code 3781.30(A)(6), as reproduced by Ohio811, says to report damage as soon as it is discovered:
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Use your local 811/one-call center and the utility operator’s instructions to determine the applicable process and deadline. Do not wait for a leak, outage, or visible worsening before reporting suspected damage. If a line was struck earlier and the damage is noticed later, report it when discovered and explain when the strike occurred, if known.
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For a crew or contractor, make sure the person responsible for incident reporting knows the precise site location and the notifications already made. Keep a record of whom you contacted and when, consistent with company procedures and local requirements. This documentation does not replace prompt notification or any report required by law.
What 811 can—and cannot—do
A one-call center routes locate or damage notifications to member utilities; it is not a repair service, and a public utility locate does not necessarily identify every buried line. Arkansas 811 explains that utilities locate their own facilities and that private facilities may exist beyond the public utility locate. The one-call center’s role is to connect the report with participating operators, not to inspect or fix the damaged facility itself.
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If you are not sure whether a line is public or private, describe what happened to the one-call center and contact the property owner or known facility operator. Do not use uncertainty about ownership as a reason to continue digging or postpone reporting a suspected strike.
Why you should not repair, backfill, or keep digging
Visible damage may be only part of the problem. A nick, dent, coating break, or cable-sheath injury can warrant inspection even when the line still appears to work. The utility operator needs the opportunity to assess the damage and make necessary repairs; covering the line or continuing nearby excavation can obstruct inspection or create further risk. A lack of immediate service interruption does not show that the facility is undamaged.
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Do not use repair tools or materials, apply a patch, move the line, or try to test whether it is functioning. The response guidance calls for utility notification and operator inspection, not unauthorized repair. Even an action intended to protect the line can conceal damage or interfere with the operator’s assessment.
- Do not touch, move, patch, or otherwise attempt to repair the facility.
- Do not backfill or cover the damage unless the operator authorizes it.
- Do not restart excavation near the facility until the operator permits it.
- Keep workers and bystanders clear of any hazard while awaiting responders or the operator.
- Do not assume a minor-looking nick, coating mark, or sheath injury can be ignored.
If the utility operator or emergency responders give instructions about keeping people back, leaving access open, or waiting for repairs, follow them. Do not let a schedule or a desire to finish the excavation override the direction to stop work.
Information to have ready when you report
Give clear, factual details and answer the questions asked by the 911 dispatcher, utility operator, and one-call center. Useful details include:
- Worksite address or precise location, including the part of the site where the strike occurred.
- What kind of facility was hit, if known, and whether the line is leaking, sparking, exposed, or otherwise visibly damaged.
- Approximate time of the incident and what happened.
- Any injuries, evacuation, or immediate hazards.
- The equipment involved and whether excavation has stopped.
- For applicable reporting, facility characteristics such as approximate size, material, color, or depth, if known.
California’s regulator identifies location, facility type, time, damage description, injuries, evacuation, and equipment as useful incident-report details. Ohio’s quoted reporting language calls for the type and location of the damage and, when available, the utility’s approximate size, material, color, and depth. These details help make the report specific; do not guess at information you cannot verify.
Do not approach a hazardous line to gather details. Report only what can be observed safely and let responders or utility personnel assess the facility. If you do not know the line type or its depth, say so rather than moving closer or disturbing the excavation to find out.
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After the operator takes over
Keep the excavation and damaged area accessible for inspection, without disturbing the line. Follow directions from emergency responders and the utility operator about isolation, repair, access, and when work may resume. Record the incident details required by your company’s procedures and applicable local rules, and make sure the required reports have been submitted to the appropriate operator and one-call center.
Before restarting, get clear authorization from the utility operator for work near the affected facility. A crew’s judgment that the line looks intact is not a substitute for the operator’s inspection or permission. If the operator needs time to inspect or repair the facility, wait; do not backfill or resume nearby excavation simply because the initial emergency has passed.
For future work, identify the applicable local one-call process before excavation and confirm whether private facilities may require a separate locate. That preparation does not change what to do after a strike: stop, protect people, report promptly, and leave repair and clearance to the operator and emergency personnel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if I hit an underground utility line?
Stop excavation immediately. Move people away if there is a hazard, call 911 for an immediate danger, then promptly notify the affected utility operator and local 811/one-call center. Do not touch, repair, cover, or resume work near the line until the operator authorizes it.
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Do I have to report a small nick, dent, or coating damage?
Yes, treat suspected damage as reportable even if there is no leak, outage, or visible service problem. Guidance from Texas811 and Tennessee 811 includes damage such as gouges, dents, coating breaks, and cable-sheath damage.
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Should I call 911 if I damage a gas line?
If gas is leaking or escaping, move a safe distance away and call 911. Texas811’s 2023 excavator guide says not to start a vehicle engine or use a cell phone until gas can no longer be smelled. Follow emergency responder and utility instructions.
How long do I have to report utility-line damage?
Deadlines vary by jurisdiction. California’s guidance specifies two hours for certain serious categories of damage and 48 hours for other damage, but those are California-specific deadlines. Other states use different requirements, so notify the operator and local one-call center promptly and check the law where the work occurred.
Does calling 811 locate or repair every underground line?
No. A one-call center routes notifications to member utilities; public utility locating may not include privately owned facilities, and the center does not repair damaged lines. If a line may be private, notify its owner or operator and arrange an appropriately qualified locator.
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No. Leave the line exposed and undisturbed, and do not backfill or resume nearby excavation until the utility operator authorizes it. A line can have damage that is not obvious and still needs inspection.
The Bottom Line
If construction damages an underground utility line, stop work, move people away from danger, and call 911 for an immediate hazard. Notify the utility operator and local 811/one-call center promptly, follow jurisdiction-specific reporting rules, and do not repair, backfill, or resume nearby excavation without the operator’s authorization.
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