Common Ground Alliance Releases 5 Steps to Safer Digging Videos
Earthworks have plenty of hazards to avoid — buried utilities, trench cave-ins, property damage and the general safety of working around excavation equipment. When it comes to digging around subsurface utilities, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) has been focused on protecting underground utility lines and the people who dig near them for years. The association recently announced it has completed two new safety videos that detail the five-step underground utility damage prevention process. These steps are: 1) make a free call to 811 a few days before digging; 2) wait the required time; 3) locate accurately; 4) confirm all marks; and 5) dig with care.
“Education and training are critical to reducing damages, and these new videos will go a long way in bringing our information to life for excavators, facility operators and utility locators,” said Bob Kipp, president of CGA. “These videos are an important addition to the CGA library of educational materials that help provide a great damage prevention program for all organizations.”
The five steps featured in the videos illustrate the best practices that should be employed by all stakeholders on digging projects to prevent damage to underground facilities. The purpose of these two videos is to provide educational tools that apply to all knowledge bases, from the novice to the professional excavator. The content and learning objectives for the videos were strategically chosen by various industry stakeholders and CGA’s Educational Programs, Marketing and Membership Committee. Several industry partners assisted in the process, including the Associated General Contractors, National Utility Locating Contractors Association and the National Utility Contractors Association, plus multiple utility operators from across the country.
The safety videos can be viewed online. Damage prevention stakeholders may also purchase DVDs online for a nominal cost recovery fee plus shipping and handling by visiting www.commongroundalliance.com.
