Undergoung Utilities and their Standard Colors
Underground utilities can easily be identified today. The risk was high before when people could not easily identify the type of utility lines underneath whenever they dig. Although not completely eliminated, risks today have been reduced. In order to prevent harm, it is important to know or identify these utility lines if your need to dig the ground. Before digging through a certain piece of land, the OSHA requires that the underground utilities be located. Otherwise it can be something disastrous. The worst thing that can happen if lines are not identified is that fatal injuries can happen. Services in the area where the lines are located can experience interruption. To prevent these types of incidents, it is important for property owners to call 811 so utility companies can identify their undergoing lines. Calling the 811 number will enable utility companies to come out and mark their respective utility lines.
Marking lines may lessen the risks but there are time when accidents still happen. Utility lines are struck every 6 minutes, some place. When utility lines are stuck it causes disturbances in traffic lights wastewater pipes, telecommunication lines and more. These incidents affect public health and safety.
With the use of GPR or Ground Penetrating Radar, companies can locate utility lines. This has made it easier to locate utility lies underground and other important things. Calling 811 is enough for the property owner to let companies located their lines.
Today, utility lines are marked with different colors for easy identification. Here are the colors used for different utilities.
Proposed excavation sites use white lines. Area that will be excavated in the future are marked.
Temporary survey markings use pink lines. Legal property boundaries are marked off by these pink lines.
Red lines are used to mark electric power lines, cable, conduit, and lighting cable. The color red is perfect for electric works because it is associated with fire and danger.
Yellow lines are used for gas, oil, steam, petroleum, and gaseous materials. The bright color yellow is used to be a warning sign since a natural gas leak can create a potentially disastrous situation.
If you see orange lines, then you should associate this with communication., alarm, signal lines, cable or conduit. If you see blue lines then these are lines for potable water. Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines used purple lines. Green lines are used for sewer and drain lines. Hitting this line can truly derail any project for a long period of time.
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