Code of Maine Rules › 65 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › 407 - PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › Chapter 895 - UNDERGROUND FACILITY DAMAGE PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS › Section 407-895-5 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIG SAFE SYSTEM

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Notification.
Upon receiving notice of excavation as required by
				Section
				4(B), the Dig Safe
				System shall immediately notify all member operators whose underground
				facilities may be affected by the notice.
B.
System Requirements
1. The Dig Safe System shall provide a
				single, statewide, toll-free telephone number. All telephone directories shall
				prominently display the toll-free number: 1-(888)-DIGSAFE (1-(888)-344-7233) or
				such other number that may be established.
2. At a minimum, the Dig Safe System shall
				staff its operation from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day excluding Saturdays, Sundays
				and legal Maine holidays. The Dig Safe System shall provide emergency
				notification 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
3. The Dig Safe System shall provide adequate
				communication equipment and personnel sufficient to answer calls within 20
				seconds under normal operating conditions or otherwise as soon as
				practicable.
4. The Dig Safe System
				shall transmit non-emergency messages to member operators by 6:00 p.m. on the
				date of receipt. The Dig Safe System shall transmit emergency messages to
				member operators within 10 minutes of receipt under normal operating conditions
				or otherwise as soon as practicable.
5. The Dig Safe System may adopt rules
				requiring face-to-face meetings between excavators and member
				operators.
6. The cost of operating
				the Dig Safe System shall be apportioned equitably among its member
				operators.
7. The Dig Safe System
				shall maintain adequate records to document compliance with the requirements of
				this rule. The Dig Safe System shall annually report to the Commission
				information adequate to demonstrate the extent to which it answers calls and
				transmits messages within the time frames required by this rule.
8. The Dig Safe System shall assist the
				Commission to the extent practicable in coordinating access for Maine
				excavators calling the Dig Safe System to the Commission's OKTODIG
				database.
9. The Dig Safe System
				shall restrict the use of facility location information provided by Maine
				operators to those uses required to perform its duties under this Rule and will
				restrict access to the facility location information to those employees of the
				Dig Safe System performing such duties. Access to Maine facility location
				information shall not be available to the general public by electronic or
				digital technology or by copies of maps and plans. The Dig Safe System shall
				use reasonable care to maintain all facility location information provided by
				Maine operators in a secure manner and the Commission may initiate an
				appropriate investigation to review security protocols.
10. No later than 21 business days after
				receiving notification of newly installed facilities or planned new facilities
				pursuant to subsection
				6(A)(1)(d) (iii), or
				discovered facilities pursuant to subsection
				6(B)(6), the Dig Safe
				System shall update its records to reflect the location of these
				facilities.