Tampa-Based MaintenX Provides Top Tips for Digging Safety
TAMPA, Fla. (PRWEB) April 27, 2018 -- As the April weather becomes warmer and plants come to life, thoughts often turn to the outdoors, and facility managers may consider projects and landscaping that require digging. No matter if the project is a small hole or a large-scale trench, it’s critical to take the right precautions to stay safe. MaintenX wants to give facility managers advice to stay safe during Safe Digging Month.
“Power lines, water pipes, telecommunications infrastructure – it can all lie underground,” said Bill Schaphorst, MaintenX’s VP of Business Development. “If you’re not careful, digging a simple hole can turn into a deadly decision. Taking the time to become educated before you dig can save a lot of trouble and heartache.”
For over 35 years, MaintenX has provided facility managers with landscaping and project digging help. Here are some of top tips to ensure you stay safe the next time you pick up a shovel:
Call 811: Some utilities are buried deep underground, while others are only inches from the surface. If you are unsure where water, gas or electricity lines run on your property call 811 a few days before you plan to dig. 811 is the federally designated number for digging information. This gives utility companies a chance to come to your location and mark their buried lines, which saves their infrastructure and protects you from injury. Florida residents are asked to contact 811 two full business days before digging.
Protect Yourself: Some projects will require deep digging, like trenches. Any trench deeper than 5 feet should be supported in order to prevent hazards like falls, equipment accidents, or falling trench walls. Steps can be taken to help reduce risk. These steps include digging walls at an angle away from the bottom of the trench, known as sloping, or using supports to prevent cave-ins, known as shoring.
Dig Wisely: Digging is physically demanding work. If done improperly, it can lead to muscle strain, overexertion, back or knee twists or fall injuries. In order to help reduce the likelihood of accidents, OSHA recommends ergonomically-focused digging. Recommendations include moving your whole body to dig rather than twisting at the waist, using the correct shovel head and handle length for your project, reducing shoveling time to 15-minute increments, and the use of mechanically assisted digging tools when possible.
Hire a Professional: Due to the hazards underground, the physical toll that digging can have on your arms and back if digging manually, and the expertise needed to operate heavy machinery for larger projects, facility managers often decide to call in a professional. Facility maintenance professionals, like the technicians at MaintenX, can help with all your digging needs.
For more information about MaintenX and the services they provide, visit http://www.maintenx.com.
ABOUT MAINTENX INTERNATIONAL:
MaintenX International is a fully-licensed, facilities repair company. They are one of the largest national self-performing facility maintenance and repair companies in the U.S. MaintenX has created a network of knowledgeable and professional technicians throughout the country. With their team of well-trained technicians, MaintenX self-performs and manages facility maintenance for clients. In the event there is not a MaintenX technician in the area, the company has fostered a network of preferred vendor partners throughout the country to provide superior service for their clients. For more than 35 years, MaintenX has been expertly serving multi-location retail stores, restaurant chains, and Fortune 500 companies nationwide.
Bill Schaphorst, MaintenX, +1 813-297-9348, [email protected]
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