16SG OPERATOR’S MANUAL REVISED 8/16/17 Page 18 of 23
CONTACT WITH UNDERGROUND UTILITIES
{
XE "CONTACT WITH
UNDERGROUND UTILITIES"
}
After LOCATING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES
{
XE "UNDERGROUND UTILITIES"
}
and
performing the WORK SITE ASSESSMENT
{
XE "WORK SITE ASSESSMENT"
}
, accidental contact
with a buried utility might still occur. If it does, stop and call emergency services for help.
If you cut a wire or cable, assume that you do not know what kind it is. It may be electrical or any one of
several communication lines: telephone, television, or fiber optic. In any case, do not touch it or even look
at the ends of it. Stop cutting and call emergency services for help. Do not cut any more until the
appropriate utility company has assessed the situation, taken appropriate action, and informed you that is
safe to proceed.
If you strike a pipe, it could be gas, oil, petroleum, water, or sewer. In any case, stop cutting, shut off the
engine
{
XE "ENGINE"
}
, and evacuate the area immediately. Call emergency services for help.
Electrical wires or cables: If you think that you may have severed electrical wires, stop cutting and call
emergency services for help. Keep yourself and other people away from the area.
DANGER
: An electric shock could kill you. Assume that any severed wire or cable is HOT with
voltage and do not touch it!
Gas lines: If you think that you may have struck a gas line, shut off the engine
{
XE "ENGINE"
}
and
evacuate the area immediately. Call emergency services for help.
DANGER
: A gas explosion could kill you. Sparks will likely occur from the cutter head scraping
the metal pipe. If gas leaks out an explosion could easily occur.
Fiber optic cables: If you think that you may have severed a fiber optic cable, do not touch or even look at
the ends of it.
WARNING
: Fiber optic cables convey laser light that can injure your eyesight. Call emergency
services for help.