Utility locate (call 811) JHA: hazards, controls and PPE.
Start from this template, add what's different on your site today, and have the crew sign.
| Hazards · Utility locate (call 811) |
|---|
| Gas line strike: fire, explosion |
| Electric line strike: shock, arc flash |
| Water main or sewer break flooding the hole |
| Fiber cut: big repair bill and outage |
Controls
- Call 811 before you dig. Most states want 2 to 3 business days' notice.
- Wait for every utility to respond or mark. Check the positive response.
- White-line the dig area so locators know where you're working.
- Hand dig or vac inside the tolerance zone (usually 18 to 24 in each side of the mark; your state sets it).
All 4 hazards and 7 controls → · 29 CFR 1926.651(b)(1)-(4)
Toolbox talk: Call 811 before you dig
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site and have the competent person sign it.
Hazards
- Gas line strike: fire, explosion
- Electric line strike: shock, arc flash
- Water main or sewer break flooding the hole
- Fiber cut: big repair bill and outage
Controls
- Call 811 before you dig. Most states want 2 to 3 business days' notice.
- Wait for every utility to respond or mark. Check the positive response.
- White-line the dig area so locators know where you're working.
- Hand dig or vac inside the tolerance zone (usually 18 to 24 in each side of the mark; your state sets it).
- Pothole to find the exact depth before machines dig close.
- Protect the marks. Call for a refresh if they fade or the ticket expires.
- Hit a gas line? Stop, get everyone away, call 911 and the utility. Don't try to fix it.
PPE
- Hard hat
- High-vis vest (Class 2; Class 3 at night)
- Steel-toe boots
- Safety glasses
- Work gloves
OSHA rules
29 CFR 1926.651(b)(1)-(4) · State one-call (811) law
Toolbox talk: Call 811 before you dig
- Call 811 before any digging, even post holes.
- Wait for every utility to mark or clear.
- Red is power, yellow is gas, orange is communication, blue is water, green is sewer.
- Hand dig or vac inside the tolerance zone.
- Marks gone or ticket expired? Call again.
The full talk, with questions for the crew →
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site, add what's different today, and have the competent person sign it.
Tomorrow, the crew signs it on one phone.
Dozer writes the JHA and the toolbox talk from what you say and what the cameras saw yesterday. The crew signs on the foreman's phone, and it files itself in the site's day.
- One JHA per task, per day, in under a minute
- The toolbox talk that matches the work
- Signatures on one phone, no clipboard
- Filed with the daily log, ready for an inspector
LIVE Toolbox talk · trench safety · 12 signed Photo is an AI-generated stand-in, not a customer site.
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Questions crews ask
What are the hazards of utility locate (call 811)?
Gas line strike: fire, explosion. Electric line strike: shock, arc flash. Water main or sewer break flooding the hole. Fiber cut: big repair bill and outage.
What controls go in a utility locate (call 811) JHA?
Call 811 before you dig. Most states want 2 to 3 business days' notice. Wait for every utility to respond or mark. Check the positive response. White-line the dig area so locators know where you're working. Hand dig or vac inside the tolerance zone (usually 18 to 24 in each side of the mark; your state sets it). Pothole to find the exact depth before machines dig close.
What PPE is needed for utility locate (call 811)?
Hard hat, High-vis vest (Class 2; Class 3 at night), Steel-toe boots, Safety glasses, Work gloves. Add what your site and the task's SDS call for.
Which OSHA rules cover utility locate (call 811)?
29 CFR 1926.651(b)(1)-(4); State one-call (811) law.
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