Except in an emergency, you must notify the regional Underground Service Alert Center within how many days before beginning to excavate?

Except in an emergency, you must notify the regional Underground Service Alert Center within how many days before beginning to excavate?

• A. at least 1 day but no more than 7 days
• B. at least two working days but not more than 14 calendar days
• C. 3 to 10 calendar days
• D. 30 days in advance

Answer: (B)

Before digging, you must notify the Underground Service Alert Center so buried utilities can be located and marked. This protects workers and prevents costly and dangerous damage to gas lines, electrical cables, water mains, and more. The correct requirement is to give notice at least two working days before you start, but no more than 14 calendar days ahead. The two working days give utilities time to respond and flag their lines, while the 14-day limit keeps the marks current and valid for the actual digging window. If you notify too far in advance, conditions can change and you’d need to re-notify; if you notify too soon or too soon relative to the work, there may not be reliable markings when you start. Other timeframes don’t fit because one day to seven days doesn’t meet the minimum two working days, a range like 3 to 10 calendar days ignores the two-working-day minimum and the 14-day maximum, and 30 days in advance is unnecessarily far and not the standard requirement.

Before digging, you must notify the Underground Service Alert Center so buried utilities can be located and marked. This protects workers and prevents costly and dangerous damage to gas lines, electrical cables, water mains, and more.

The correct requirement is to give notice at least two working days before you start, but no more than 14 calendar days ahead. The two working days give utilities time to respond and flag their lines, while the 14-day limit keeps the marks current and valid for the actual digging window. If you notify too far in advance, conditions can change and you’d need to re-notify; if you notify too soon or too soon relative to the work, there may not be reliable markings when you start.

Other timeframes don’t fit because one day to seven days doesn’t meet the minimum two working days, a range like 3 to 10 calendar days ignores the two-working-day minimum and the 14-day maximum, and 30 days in advance is unnecessarily far and not the standard requirement.