News

CGA Releases Report on 2007 Utilitiy Damages

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), an organization focused on protecting underground utility lines and the safety of people who dig near them, recently announced findings from its fourth annual Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report, which calculated approximately 256,000 underground utility damages for 2007, which is significantly lower than estimates in previous years. Based on this new figure, there were roughly 700 incidents per day nationwide in 2007, compared to more than 1,200 per day during the first three years of the report, representing a 40 percent decline in underground utility damages that have the potential to cause injury or loss of life. Several factors that likely led to the 2007 reduction in damages include stakeholder support and promotion of 811 – the national call-before-you-dig number that launched in May 2007, of which AGC was the first national launch partner – Regional CGA efforts, implementation of CGA Best Practices and the use of new and proven technologies by excavators and locators. Click here to view the complete 2007 DIRT Report. CGA will host a teleconference on January 7, 2009 providing highlights of the 2007 DIRT report. Registration is free and this is a great opportunity to learn about what the CGA is doing to promote awareness about damage prevention. For more information and to register for the January 7 teleconference please click here. To learn more about AGC’s involvement in CGA and how you can be a part of the damage prevention solution contact Perry Fowler at (703) 837-1983 or fowlerp@agc.org