Safety
Safety standards for underground fiber work.
Underground construction happens beside live utilities, traffic and the public. Our standards are built around one rule: know what is below before anything goes into the ground.
01Our standards
What every ZMB job site starts with.
Locate before we dig
No bore or excavation starts until existing utilities are located and marked. In Illinois that means a JULIE request — or 811 Chicago inside the City of Chicago.
Brief before we start
Crews review the plan, the hazards and the day's work before the first machine starts.
Protected work zones
Traffic control and site protection set up to the permit and the applicable traffic-control standards.
Leave it right
Pits, core holes and disturbed surfaces restored to match the site and the permit.
02Know the marks
The color code underground crews live by.
Locate marks follow the APWA uniform color code. Orange — the color in our logo — marks communication lines: the fiber and telecom cables we build and protect.
03On every crew
Proper equipment, every shift.
Hard hats, high-visibility apparel and the protection each task calls for. Branding on high-visibility gear never covers retroreflective material.
- Hard hats and high-visibility apparel on site
- Task-specific eye, hearing and hand protection
- Equipment inspected before use
Safety questions about an upcoming project?
Tell us about the site and the constraints. We will plan the work around them.