If you plan to excavate in Missouri, you need to know about the Missouri One Call System (MOCS). MOCS is a statewide service that helps Missouri excavators to dig safely — and to comply fully with Missouri law and OSHA Rules.
Your Missouri Electric Cooperative and other local MOCS member utilities will be notified by MOCS when you plan to excavate in the area. Keep your workers safe — and follow Missouri law — by calling before you dig.
Why Call MOCS? To Prevent Electrocution
According to the Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety & Health, “fifty-five construction workers are killed each year by electrocutions from overhead and underground power lines (source).”
Electrocution has been one of the leading causes of death among construction workers for decades. One of the best ways to prevent excavation-related shock and electrocution is to know where underground power lines are run.
Why Call MOCS? It’s the Law
Missouri law requires excavators to contact the owner or operator of any underground power facility before you dig.
“Missouri law,” according to MOCS, “requires that any person making or beginning any excavation notify all underground owners/operators which may be affected by said excavation at least two but not more than ten working days in advance, except in the case of emergency.”
That means that you’re legally required to call MOCS within 2-10 business days of any excavation work you plan to do. It’s also your job to ensure that those utilities or other operators have responded to your outreach before you begin digging.
How Do I Call MOCS?
You can place an MOCS locate request by calling 1-800-344-7483, by calling 811, or by submitting an online ticket. Call Center Representatives are available 24/7, 365 days of the year.
About Missouri One Call
The Missouri Underground Facility Safety and Damage Prevention statute (RSMo Chapter 319) provides for a notification center to be used by participating utilities to receive locate requests. Missouri One Call System, Inc. (MOCS), operating as a non-profit Missouri corporation, is such a notification center providing a single-point of contact for notification to its members through a state wide toll-free telephone number operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MOCS was established in 1986 and currently is providing statewide services to utilities and excavators to comply with the law. This law applies to any person excavating in the state of Missouri.
MOCS was established as a means to protect underground facilities and assist excavators and utilities in complying with Missouri's statute and OSHA Rules 1926.651. By using the service that MOCS provides, the general public's safety and the environment also are protected (source).
Is My Missouri Electric Cooperative a Member of MOCS?
You can find an alphabetical list of MOCS members — including most of your Missouri Electrical Cooperatives — here.
Learn more about Missouri’s Electric Cooperatives, and how we work to provide safe, efficient energy to rural Missouri by following us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
