The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) has introduced a new tool they say will help the damage prevention industry’s ongoing efforts to enhance excavation safety.
The CGA Index, introduced in the CGA’s 2023 DIRT Report and Interactive Dashboard, is meant to serve as a benchmarking tool for year-over-year progress in U.S. damage prevention.
This new model was developed in partnership with Virginia-based market researcher, Hanover Research, and employs a methodology that models annual damages and tracks progress toward the CGA’s 50-in-5 initiative, which was unveiled in February 2023 and challenged the damage prevention industry to cut damages to critical underground utilities in half by 2028.
The Index score for 2023 was 94, which represents a six-point reduction in damages from the CGA’s 2022 baseline of 100. But in her customary introductory letter in the report, CGA President & CEO Sarah K. Magruder Lyle wrote that while encouraging, this initial decline also “underscores the considerable work ahead to reach our goal of reducing damages by 50% over five years.”
“The Index will be instrumental in establishing new areas of damage analysis, measuring progress and focusing our work in the coming years,” she said.
The 2023 DIRT Report data revealed that the top six damage root causes remain consistent and accounted for 76% of incidents for the third consecutive year. These causes include:
- Failure to notify 811
- Excavator failed to maintain clearance
- Facility not marked due to locator error
- Improper excavation practice not listed elsewhere
- Marked inaccurately due to locator error
- Excavator dug prior to verifying marks by potholing
Additionally, the Report found that excavators in 2023 faced 50/50 odds as to whether they were able to begin work on time.
“This hampers efficiency, erodes trust in the entire 811 system and puts lives at risk,” Magruder Lyle wrote. “Addressing this challenge head-on must be a priority for every stakeholder in the coming year.”
Other highlights of the 2023 data:
- Trends including facilities damaged and the type of work causing damages remained consistent with 2022. Telecommunications facilities accounted for nearly half of reported damages, followed by natural gas at about 40%.
- The 2023 DIRT Report separates the previously combined “energy” work type into distinct natural gas and electric categories, which revealed that water/sewer work emerged as the top contributor to damages, followed by telecom and construction/development.
- Excavation/construction stakeholders remained the top source of damage reports for the second consecutive year.
“As we look ahead, the urgency of our mission is clear,” Magruder Lyle wrote. “The continued increase in excavation activities driven by federal and state infrastructure investments present both obstacles and opportunities. It is pushing the limits of our current systems, and also providing us with a chance to demonstrate the transformative power of data-driven decision-making and cross-industry collaboration.
“I challenge each of you to see yourself not just as a stakeholder, but as a change agent in this critical mission,” she continued. “Commit to helping us move closer to our 50-in-5 goal by improving your organization’s data quality, developing targeted programs to reduce top damage drivers, forging deeper collaborations across stakeholder groups, participating in the DPI and being an innovator.”
How GPRS Helps You Prevent Subsurface Damage
The best way to mitigate the risk of subsurface damage on your next excavation project is by following the law and notifying 811 before you break ground – and then hiring a professional private utility locating company like GPRS to provide you with a complete, accurate map of the subsurface utilities on your job site.
Our SIM-certified Project Managers utilize state-of-the-art tools like ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locating, which when combined with our industry-leading training program allow them to provide 99.8%+ accurate utility locating services that keep you and your team safe from the dangers of utility strikes.
This accurate, field-verified data is at your fingertips 24/7 thanks to SiteMap® (patent pending), our project & facility management application that provides accurate existing conditions documentation to protect your assets and people.
Securely accessible from any computer, tablet, or smartphone, SiteMap® allows you and your project team to plan, design, manage, dig, and ultimately build better by ensuring you’re always working off the same accurate infrastructure data. Eliminate mistakes caused by miscommunications, and ensure you always have control over your data. Because when you control data, you control damage.
From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
What can we help you visualize?
Frequently Asked Questions
How does GPRS communicate the results of their utility locates?
Our Project Managers flag and paint our findings directly on the surface. This method of communication is the most accurate form of marking when excavation is expected to commence within a few days of service.
GPRS also uses a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings. We use this data to generate a plan, KMZ file, satellite overlay, or CAD file to permanently preserve results for future use. GPRS does not provide land surveying services. If you need land surveying services, please contact a professional land surveyor.
Please contact us to discuss the pricing and marking options your project may require.
Can GPRS locate PVC piping and other non-conductive utilities?
GPR scanning is exceptionally effective at locating all types of subsurface materials. There are times when PVC pipes do not provide an adequate signal to ground penetrating radar equipment and can’t be properly located by traditional methods. However, GPRS Project Managers are expertly trained at multiple methods of utility locating.
Can ground penetrating radar be used to verify known measurements?
We can use GPR to cross-check the measured depth and location of a located utility with existing as-built plans in order to verify the accuracy of plans.
What are the Benefits of Underground Utility Mapping?
Having an updated and accurate map of your subsurface infrastructure reduces accidents, budget overruns, change orders, and project downtime caused by dangerous and costly subsurface damage.
How does SiteMap® assist with Utility Mapping?
SiteMap®, powered by GPRS, is the industry-leading infrastructure management program. It is a single source of truth, housing the 99.8%+ accurate utility locating, concrete scanning, video pipe inspection, leak detection, and 3D laser scanning data our Project Managers collect on your job site. And the best part is you get a complimentary SiteMap® Personal Subscription when GPRS performs a utility locate for you.
Does SiteMap® Work with my Existing GIS Platform?
SiteMap® allows for exporting of data to SHP, GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and DXF directly from any user’s account that either owns or has a job shared to their account. All these file formats can be imported and utilized by other GIS packages if manually imported by the user.
