Industry Briefing: Underground Utility Safety Awareness Highlighted on National Safe Digging Day

## Underground Utility Safety in Focus as National Safe Digging Day Marks August 11 Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas are calling on contractors, construction crews, and excavation teams to prioritize underground utility safety, marking August 11 as National Safe Digging Day with a renewed push for pre-dig awareness. According to a joint statement issued via PR Newswire, the two energy companies have recorded nearly 4,500 instances of damage to underground electric and natural gas lines so far this year — a figure that underscores the persistent risk posed by unplanned or poorly coordinated excavation work. The campaign centers on the national 811 'Call Before You Dig' service, a federally designated hotline that allows contractors and private individuals to request the marking of underground utility lines prior to any ground-breaking activity. The service is available across the United States and is considered a critical first step in preventing accidental strikes on buried infrastructure. ### Relevance to Maritime and Port Operations While the initiative is broadly aimed at the construction and utilities sectors, the message carries particular relevance for port authorities, marine terminal operators, and coastal infrastructure developers. Ports and shipyards routinely undertake ground-level construction, dredging-adjacent earthworks, and facility expansion projects that may intersect with buried utility corridors — including fuel lines, electrical conduits, and communications cables. Damage to underground utilities in port environments can result in operational shutdowns, safety hazards for workers, and significant financial liability. Industry best practice consistently recommends utility surveys and 811 notifications as standard pre-construction protocol. 'Calling 811 before you dig is not just a legal requirement in many states — it is a fundamental safety step that protects workers, the public, and critical infrastructure,' the companies noted in their release. Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas serve large portions of the southeastern United States, a region that includes several major port facilities and energy export terminals along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Safety advocates recommend that all project managers, regardless of industry, incorporate utility clearance checks into their standard pre-work planning processes. *Source: PR Newswire / Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas*