--- title: The 1 thing you must do before you excavate | Technical Safety BC description: Digging without checking if there are buried utilities can have serious consequences. Get the facts and call before you dig. image: https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Twitter_Excavation.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/1-thing-you-must-do-you-excavate#main-content) [![Technical Safety BC colour logo with gear](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/TSBC_Stacked_RGB%20300%20dpi%20-%20transparent%20background-1.png?width=600&height=179&name=TSBC_Stacked_RGB%20300%20dpi%20-%20transparent%20background-1.png "Technical Safety BC colour logo with gear")](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/) [Visit main site](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/) [Contact us](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/contact/contact-us) [Back to blog](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/) # The 1 thing you must do before you excavate April 5, 2019 2 Minute read ![](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Twitter_Excavation.jpg)     Did you know that each year in British Columbia there are about 1,000 incidents of natural gas line damage caused by homeowners or contractors who excavate or dig without checking to see if there are buried utilities in the area? Damaging a gas line can put people at risk, cause traffic and service interruptions and require costly repairs. The good news? Most of these incidents can be easily avoided with a bit of advance planning.   ## Call Before You Dig BC One Call is a free service you can call before excavation begins to confirm there are no buried utilities or infrastructure in the area you will be working in. Examples include:  - Telecommunication cables - Electricity wires - Natural gas lines - Watermains - Sewer lines. Requests can be made online at [www.bc1c.ca](https://www.bc1c.ca), by phone at 1 800 474 6886 or by dialing \*6886 from a cell phone. You can also visit [https://onecall.beforeyoudigpartners.com/](https://onecall.beforeyoudigpartners.com/ca-b4-en/Account/Login) to place your inquiry online. This free service is available 24/7 service 365 days a year. Requests should be made a minimum of three full business days before the planned excavation.  ## When should I call? It's recommended that you check for buried utilities and gas lines before you:  - Uproot trees or shrubs - Put in/take out fence posts - Build a deck or fish pond - Work on retaining walls - Landscape, dig or excavate - Plant anything more than a few inches below the surface of the ground -- this may include digging deep holes for trees and shrubs.  Looking for more information on how to dig safely? Check out our [Call Before You Dig](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/public-safety/gas-line-safety) resource page or visit the [BC Common Ground Alliance](https://commongroundbc.ca). 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