Title
To recognize April as National Safe Digging Month in the City of Columbus
Body
WHEREAS, OHIO811, operated by the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS), is the recognized underground utility protection service in the state of Ohio that responds to more than 1.5 million utility locate requests to protect the safety of all Ohioans; and
WHEREAS, each year in the City of Columbus, underground excavation around critical utility infrastructure poses a potential and significant safety hazard to public welfare; and
WHEREAS, OHIO811 should always be contacted before any type of excavation, regardless of depth; and WHEREAS, Ohio Revised Code: 3781.25 (I) defines excavations as the use of hand tools, powered equipment, or explosives to move earth, rock, or other materials in order to penetrate or bore or drill into the earth, or to demolish any structure whether or not it is intended that the demolition will disturb the earth; and
WHEREAS, failure to have underground utilities located and properly identified prior to digging can result in possible personal injury and even death, service interruptions or damage to the environment; and
WHEREAS, to enhance public safety and reduce disruptions to the underground utility infrastructure, anyone digging or excavating in the City of Columbus must contact OHIO811 by calling 8-1-1 or visiting oups.org to provide the precise location of their excavating activities to make a utility location request prior to any excavation; and
WHEREAS, by following safe digging practices, such as contacting OHIO811 prior to excavation, waiting the required amount of time for utilities to be located and excavating with care around the location marks; excavators, utilities and homeowners are making the City of Columbus a safer place to live and work; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby recognize April as National Safe Digging Month in the City of Columbus.