How to Use Underground Warning Tape

Follow construction safety protocol by using underground warning tape.

Building contractors sometimes work on materials placed underground, such as electrical lines and gas pipes. When materials are buried underground, it is customary to install underground warning tape to prevent damage to materials and accidents on site. These warning tapes usually display an instruction message and mark restricted areas to indicate to the new contractor that working below the tape is prohibited. This ensures proper regulatory protocol, proper underground construction, and safety for both the workers and the occupants of the building. Does this Spark an idea?

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Underground warning tape
Stakes
Hammer
Heavy duty scissors
Shovel
Backhoe

Instructions

Instructions
- 1
  
  Determine what warning message should be seen by a contractor if future work is required in the current underground area where you have completed the work. Refer to regulatory protocol to help choose the correct messaging.
- 2
  
  Purchase a ream of underground warning tape displaying the message or messages you've selected for the work completed at the site.
- 3
  
  Create underground shelving about 2 to 3 feet above the restricted area for the warning tape to rest on. Place wood stakes in the dirt about 3 to 6 feet apart from one end of the restricted area to the other. Hammer the stakes into place, inserting the sharp pointed edge into the dirt and leaving the wide flat part hanging out to yield a small shelf.
- 4
  
  Stretch out a continuous line of the underground tape that displays the message for the area over the wood stakes. Ensure that the message can be read from top to bottom and left to right. Cut off any excess warning tape using heavy-duty scissors.
- 5
  
  Cover the warning tape with dirt so that it is buried on top of the underground materials. Use either a shovel or backhoe to complete this task.

Tips & Warnings

Two to three feet above a buried material is a standard height to place warning tape. However, if you want to ensure that it gives a contractor enough notice to refrain from working past that point, place a standard shovel head directly on top of the buried material and measure up to the end of the shovel where the metal becomes the wood handle. This is about the depth a contractor would dig before actually hitting the buried material. If you move the tape measure up an inch or so you will ensure that the warning tape is placed at a safe height.
Follow all construction safety precautions, rules, and regulations to ensure your safety and the safety of others at the worksite.

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