Common Ground Alliance, Gold Shovel Association Explore Efforts to Take Damage Prevention to Next Level

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Common Ground Alliance and the Gold Shovel Association will explore establishing a new arm of CGA that will integrate GSA into the organization in a continued and combined effort to reduce damages to critical underground infrastructure, as well as protect those who work and live near these important assets. The collective industry commitment of both associations is expected to further the ongoing, common focus on lowering damages, and will provide an opportunity to take damage prevention to the next level. Building on CGA’s Best Practices and foundational Damage Information Reporting Tool data, and GSA’s metrics development, this newly created branch … Read more

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John Somers Named AEM Vice President, Construction & Utility Sector

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The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has named John Somers as its vice president, Construction & Utility Sector, effective immediately. Somers replaces Megan Tanel, who will succeed Dennis Slater as AEM president effective Jan. 1. Somers will be responsible for the strategic direction of construction and utility programs and services for AEM membership, and he will serve as the primary liaison to AEM’s CE Sector Board and with CE-specific industry organizations, customer groups and government agencies, both in North America and worldwide. Somers joined AEM in 2007 and has held various positions with increasing responsibility within the organization over the past … Read more

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2020 DIRT Report Reveals Damage Prevention Challenges Continue Amidst Global Pandemic

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Common Ground Alliance has released the findings from its 2020 Damage Information Reporting Tool Report. The report analyzed all 2020 data submitted voluntarily by facility operators, utility locating companies, one call centers, contractors, regulators and others from the U.S. and Canada using an in-depth statistical modeling process. The results of this analysis found that an estimated 468,000 excavation-related damages to underground facilities occurred in the U.S. in 2020. Construction activity was down 4.2% in 2020 from 2019 as measured by construction spending and adjusting for steep inflation in building materials and supplies that occurred in 2020, according to the report’s … Read more

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Annual Common Ground Alliance DIRT Report Reveals Utility Damages Continue Upward Trend

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Common Ground Alliance announced the findings from its 2019 Damage Information Reporting Tool Report. The report analyzed all 2019 data submitted voluntarily by facility operators, utility locating companies, one call centers, contractors, regulators and others from the U.S. and Canada using an in-depth statistical modeling process. The results of this analysis found that an estimated 532,000 excavation-related damages to underground facilities occurred in the U.S. in 2019, a 4.5% increase compared to the 2018 estimate of 509,000 damages. The report also examined the direct and indirect costs of damaging underground infrastructure, and estimated that the societal costs totaled approximately $30 billion … Read more

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Common Ground Alliance Launches ‘Next Practices’ Initiative

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Common Ground Alliance has launched its Next Practices Initiative. This initiative will focus on driving innovative solutions to solve challenges that the damage prevention industry faces. CGA’s Best Practices focus on the “identification of the best practices in place” and are the preeminent guide for underground safety and damage prevention. CGA’s Next Practices will target the most critical challenges facing the damage prevention industry by bringing together leaders from across CGA’s 16 stakeholder groups to discuss these increasingly complex challenges and encourage innovative solutions. The purpose of the Next Practices Initiative will be to: encourage innovation and new practices to address the … Read more

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