Common Ground Alliance Releases 5 Steps to Safer Digging Videos

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the stakeholder-run organization focused on protecting underground utility lines and the people who dig near them, recently announced it has completed two new safety videos that detail the five-step underground utility damage prevention process. These steps are: making a free call to 811 a few days before digging, waiting the required time, locating accurately, confirming all marks and digging with care.
 
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.

“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 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 (our favorite) National Utility Contractors Association, plus multiple utility operators from across the country.

The safety videos can be viewed online by clicking here (for novices) or here (for seasoned professionals). Damage prevention stakeholders may also purchase DVDs online for a nominal cost recovery fee plus shipping and handling by clicking here.