Preventing costly and inconvenient damages to buried utilities is a challenge for public works operators, especially because it requires coordination between a variety of third parties including excavators and utility line locators. Focus groups with excavators and locators have revealed a variety of tactics that facility owners can employ to partner more deeply and realistically with these groups who are so critical to maintaining the integrity of buried utilities. Common Ground Alliance, the national non-profit leader for utility damage prevention, will share the data from recent quantitative and qualitative research with these two stakeholder groups, as well as public works-specific data trends from its most recent national Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report, to provide actionable strategies that public works operators can employ to achieve better outcomes when digging activity occurs on or around their facilities.
Proficiency Level
Introductory
Learning Objectives
- Identify specific strategies for working with excavators and utility line locators to prevent excavation-related damage to public works facilities.
- Discern the various available damage prevention outreach and education tactics available and act with confidence when deciding on how and when to implement them.
- Administer a utility damage prevention program that is data-driven, stakeholder -informed and measurable.
Contributor/Source
Khrysanne Kerr
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Proficiency Levels
Introductory
Focuses on a general or broad overview of the topic, awareness of basic factual recall. Limited experience of the subject matter is necessary to understand content areas.
Applied
Focuses on practical implementation of technical steps or strategies, some prior knowledge and experience of the topic is necessary.
Advanced
Mastery of basic concepts associated with an area has been obtained. Focuses on understanding nuances, advanced concepts, and intricacies with implementation within knowledge area. Strong understanding of how the concept impacts other factors or areas of operations.
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