Before digging checklist
Locates and plans before the first cut. Get it in Reldro to edit it and use it on a phone, even without signal.
- 6 items
- 2 critical
- When the work happens
- Editable in Reldro
When to use this checklist
Use it before any digging starts, and again when the dig area changes.
- How often
- When the work happens
- Critical items
- 2 of the 6 items are marked critical. If a critical item fails, stop and fix it, or keep people away, before the work goes ahead.
Tips for using it
- Check that locate marks match the drawings.
- Keep the locate record on site.
- Write down what failed and who will fix it by when. A failed item with no owner often comes back.
- Edit the list to match your site and your procedures before you use it with a crew.
Common questions
What's on a before digging checklist?
It has 6 checks: Utility locates are requested and marks are visible; Drawings and records were reviewed; Unmarked or unknown services are treated as live; Hand digging is planned near marked lines; Exclusion zones and barriers are set; Emergency contacts for utilities are available. 2 of them are critical.
How often should you do a before digging checklist?
When the work happens. Use it before any digging starts, and again when the dig area changes.
What do you do when a check fails?
Write down what failed, who will fix it, and by when. If a critical check fails, stop and fix it, or keep people away from the hazard, before the work goes ahead. In Reldro, a failed check can become a corrective action with an owner and a due date.
Can you use this before digging checklist for free?
You can read it here for free. To use it, get it in Reldro. It arrives ready for you to edit to fit your site and procedures, your crew can complete it on a phone even without signal, and Reldro keeps each completed checklist with the site, the date, and who did it.
Does this checklist make a site safe or compliant?
No. It's a starting point for your own inspection. Adapt it to your procedures and the rules where you work. Reldro doesn't certify that a site or job is safe or compliant.
Last updated .
Use this checklist in Reldro
- It arrives ready to edit, and your crew uses it on their phone, even without signal.
- Failed items become corrective actions with an owner and a due date.
- Every completed one is kept with the site, the date and who did it.
Goes with
JHA: locating utilities and potholingFind and expose buried services before you dig.4 steps- JHA: laying pipe in a trenchLower and join pipe in a trench.4 steps
- Toolbox talk: calling before you digFind buried services before you hit them.About 5 minutes
- Toolbox talk: ground conditions after rainWet ground behaves differently.About 5 minutes
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