Members may choose to handle the excavator’s locate requests directly or arrange for a contractor to handle all or part of their locating work. However, the member remains responsible for fulfilling the requirements of Wisconsin Statute 182.0175.

After receiving and screening the locate request, each Diggers Hotline member, or their locating contractor, will mark the location of their facilities in the field in a reasonable manner, allowing the excavator to easily recognize the location of buried facilities. Facilities will be marked according to the following color codes in accordance with Wisconsin Statute 182.0175 and ANSI Standard Z53.1:

RED - Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting Cables.
YELLOW - Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum, or Gaseous Materials.
ORANGE - Communication, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit.
BLUE - Water, Irrigation, or Slurry Lines.
GREEN - Sewers and Drain Lines.
PINK - Temporary Survey Markings.
WHITE - Proposed Excavation.

Members will use stakes, flags, paint, or other suitable materials in varying combinations dependent upon the type of surface to be marked. These marks will be in sufficient quantity to clearly identify the routes of the facility. Where the facility size is larger than a few inches, the width will also be indicated.

When the surface over the underground facility is expected to be destroyed, supplemental off-set markings may be added. Such markings will identify the direction and distance to the actual facility.

Emergency locates are given top priority. Members will respond to emergencies by telephone generally within one hour to state if buried facilities are present and to indicate if a field locator will be dispatched and, if so, when. Members will mark facilities within the emergency excavation area as soon as possible, generally within three hours or prior to the start of the excavation, whichever is later.

Each member maintains an emergency phone number for use in the processing of emergency locate requests during after-hours times when their office is closed. These numbers can be obtained when an emergency ticket is filed with Diggers Hotline.

If requested, members will attempt to expedite non-emergency locate requests dependent upon scheduling considerations.

Members will, upon receiving a valid request through Diggers Hotline, re-mark a job site. (See Re-Marking, later in this manual.)

When an appointment is set up, either by Diggers Hotline or directly with members, locating representatives will meet the caller at the time and place agreed upon. If, for some reason, the appointment time cannot be met, the member will contact the caller to arrange a new time.