YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Springtime is springing up, and the Ohio Utilities Protection Service is reminding Ohioans of a necessary safety precaution to be taken prior to digging in their yards. State law requires anyone digging in Ohio to call OUPS 48 hours (excluding weekends and legal holidays) prior to digging. This free call can help protect families from serious legal, financial and physical ramifications should damage to an underground utility occur."The term 'call before you dig' usually resonates with contractors," says Gregory A. Obsincs, OUPS president. "However, the general property owner population is a little different." A simple home improvement project like planting a tree or installing a fence is considered an excavation in accordance with state law. "About 20% of our 4,000 daily calls come from homeowners, so we believe there is a great need to educate homeowners about their responsibility to call before they dig," notes Carolyn Kelly, OUPS operations manager.Callers need to provide information to the OUPS operator including county, city/township, nearest intersecting street and the type of excavation that will occur. "Most calls take less than three minutes," says Kelly. "There is also a prompt that first-time-callers can go to when their call is answered to get more information."More than 800 utilities belong to the service which includes cable TV, electric, water, sewer and natural gas companies. These member companies receive a dig notification from OUPS and then respond to the proposed excavation site within 48 hours. The companies or their designees will locate with paint or flags, the approximate location of buried pipe and cable at the intended dig site.The Ohio Utilities Protection Service, founded in 1972, was created to provide an easy way for anyone intending to dig to notify member utility companies of their intent to excavate. Member utility companies who receive a locate request will mark the approximate location of the underground pipe or cable. The phone number is (800) 362-2764.Visit Ohio Utilities Protection Service: www.oups.org"