John Deere will sponsor National 811 Day on August 11, a day named by the Common Ground Alliance to bring awareness to Americans about dialing the 811 call-before-you-dig number.
The 811 phone number is to be used by contractors, homeowners and farmers to request a professional to mark utility lines prior to digging – preventing injuries, community outages and infrastructure damage.
The Common Ground Alliance is a national association dedicated to preventing unnecessary damage to underground utility systems and ensuring public safety. It established the national 811 phone number in 2007 because of confusion from multiple call-before-you-dig numbers. The 811 number is FCC-designated.
Approximately 450,000 underground lines were struck and damaged in 2004. After installing multiple measures, including the 811 phone number, strikes have diminished by 50 percent.
John Deere has participated in 811 number awareness since its inception and promotes “Safe Digging Month” each spring.
For more information on National 811 Day, visit www.commongroundalliance.com.
