AEM, CGA Partner to Expand 811 Safety Messaging for New U.S. Equipment

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) have announced a partnership commitment to advance safe digging awareness and contact of 811.

The two companies aim to support consistent industry guidance and promotion of best practices while operating equipment on digging jobs. As one of the partnership’s first actions under the newly-inked Statement of Shared Principles is to recommend that non-highway equipment manufacturers add an 811-reminder decal to equipment with a chance to unintentionally hit underground utilities. This decal could appear on all applicable new equipment for the U.S. market as early as August 2027, the company says.

“Our members build the machines that build, feed and power the world, and safety is central to that work,” says Megan Tanel, president and CEO of AEM. “Adding an 811 decal is a simple, visible way for equipment manufacturers to remind operators to contact 811 before digging or working near underground infrastructure. We are proud to work with CGA to help share this important safety message across the industry.”

The new best practices are endorsed by the boards of both organizations, according to a joint statement by the two. The equipment operators will work as a “last line of defense” against underground utility strikes nationwide.

“In 2025 alone, an estimated 213,985 damages to underground infrastructure were reported across the United States,” the companies say. “The initiative directly supports CGA’s goal to reduce damages to underground infrastructure and keep workers and communities both safe and connected to critical utilities.”

Beyond the construction sector

AEM and CGA officials stress that these safe digging practices are not merely an issue in the construction sector. Specifically, the two organizations say farmers and other agricultural operators are at heavy risk of striking underground lines. The new initiative intends to raise awareness for safe digging in all sectors, not just the world of construction.

“Preventing damage to underground infrastructure is a shared responsibility, and this best practice will remind equipment operators closest to the dig to contact 811 before starting their work,” says Sarah K. Magruder Lyle, President and CEO of the Common Ground Alliance. “When non-road equipment manufacturers stand with us, we reach operators before a shovel ever hits the ground. That’s how we reduce our top driver of damages every year, which is failure to contact 811 before digging.”

The new statement will help AEM and CGA to work together, beyond a single initiative in the construction sector. The two associations also plan to expand industry education and promote practical damage prevention tools.

“As manufacturers, we provide the equipment, so we have a role to play in reminding every operator to contact 811 if the ground is not clearly marked for utilities,” says Kevin Thomas, EVP of Alamo Group Inc.’s Industrial Equipment Division and 2027 show chair of The Utility Expo. “Attendees can expect to see this decal on equipment across the show floor at The Utility Expo 2027 — a clear signal that our industry takes damage prevention seriously.”