Damage Prevention & Safety
CGA Research on Utility Locating Points to Stressed Damage Prevention System
The Common Ground Alliance published a new White Paper that is based on recent research among locating stakeholders that points to an often strained damage prevention system.
CGA Report Reveals Utility Damages Cost U.S. $30 Billion in 2019
The 2019 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report compiled by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) revealed that excavation-related damages to utilities cost the U.S. approximately $30 billion last year.
How to Build a Customized Excavation Protective System
Some excavation projects are clear-cut and just require selecting the right excavation protective system for the job. Other projects, such as deep or complex trenches, need a custom-engineered solution.
Suicide Serious Issue for Construction Industry
CIASP’s stated goals include increasing awareness about the risk of suicide within the construction industry and to develop suicide prevention resources and tools to create a zero-suicide industry.
Cross Bore Risk Reduction Protects Contractors
Published in February 2020, by the Cross Bore Safety Association, Leading Practices for Cross Bore Risk Reduction is the direct result of the industry’s expressed desire to have a high-confidence guidance document to help ensure cross bores are not created and, if existing, eliminated.
Common Ground Alliance Announces Damage Prevention Conference & Expo
The Common Ground Alliance has announced its 2021 CGA Conference & Expo from March 2-5, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.
NUCA of Middle Tennessee Announces Winner of 2020 Trench Safety Stand Down Week Contest
The Middle Tennessee Chapter of the National Utility Contractors Association of America (NUCA) has announced the winner of it's first every Trench Safety Stand Down (TSSD) contest last week as part of the association's annual TSSD Week.
PG&E Confesses to Killing 84 People in 2018 California Fire
California gas utility company Pacific Gas & Electric confessed Tuesday to killing 84 people in one of the most devastating wildfires in recent U.S. history
New Mexico Offers COVID-19 Testing for Utility Workers
The state of New Mexico is offering COVID-19 testing to utility workers as part of a statewide effort to keep essential workers healthy and to meet state testing goals.
CGA Releases Annual Damage Prevention Technology Report
The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), has released its third annual Technology Report, which serves as a record of progress in technology for the damage prevention industry.
U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance for Construction Workers Safety During Pandemic
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the Department of Labor, has issued guidelines to keep construction workers safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
WEF Panel to Study Biohazards, Safety for Wastewater Workers
To ensure the protection of wastewater workers during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond, the Water Environment Federation is convening a blue-ribbon panel of experts to evaluate information on biological hazards and safety precautions.
CGA: Late Locates of Buried Utilities Appear Underreported
A new Common Ground Alliance report examining 2015-2018 data reveals excavators primarily use CGA’s DIRT tool to document locating issues and associated downtime. The analysis shows late locates of buried utilities may be underreported.
Texas Eastern Gas Pipeline Explodes in Kentucky
Enbridge responded to an explosion on Line 10 of its Texas Eastern system in Kentucky and said Tuesday that it has shut-in a section of the pipeline. Gas futures rose on the news.
Working in Confined Spaces: Be Safe, Not Sorry
In construction and industry, some potential hazards are visibly manifest, such as the risk of falls from heights. Others are more hidden. A confined space may not look dangerous, but workers perish each year because someone assumed the air inside was safe to breathe, when testing would have revealed that it wasn’t.
Corrosion Blamed for 2018 Canadian Pipeline Blast
An explosion and fire in 2018 along an Enbridge Inc natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia was caused by corrosion, Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) said on Wednesday.
TTC to Release CIPP Emissions Safety Findings on Dec. 17
The Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech University said it has completed NAASCO-commissioned research into the safety of styrene emissions from cured-in-place pipe and will present its findings and recommendations in a webcast on Dec. 17.
Harnessing Better Data to Embrace Defensive Digging
Data is everywhere – even buried in soil. It’s no longer just a Silicon Valley buzzword, but rather something tangible that contractors working in underground infrastructure installation and maintenance can harness for safer and more efficient operations.
CGA DIRT Report Shows Excavation Damages Increased in 2018
The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the stakeholder-driven organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, recently announced its findings from the 2018 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report.
Contractor Guilty of Manslaughter in Boston Trench Collapse
A contractor who prosecutors said pushed his crews to work faster on a behind-schedule project has been convicted of manslaughter for the deaths of two workers in a 2016 trench collapse.
Sewage from Manhole Spills into Durham, N.C. Creek
City officials in Durham, N.C., said the state Department of Environmental Quality was notified after a buildup of rags blocked a sewer main and caused a spill into Ellerbe Creek.
Nick Stavropoulos to Lead Safety Efforts for Columbia Gas of Massachusetts
Columbia Gas of Massachusetts has appointed Nick Stavropoulos to a new, senior role focused on safety.
Columbia Gas Ordered to Seek State Approval for All Non-Emergency Work
Massachusetts officials are placing additional restrictions on the utility company blamed for last year’s destructive gas explosions following a major gas leak that prompted evacuations last week.
Feds Recommend New Requirements After Natural Gas Disaster
Federal officials are recommending stronger nationwide requirements for natural gas systems following last September's natural gas explosions and fires in Massachusetts.
Efficiency Production Unveils Octagon-Configured Build-A-Box Trench Shield
Efficiency Production unveiled the newest innovation in its industry-leading Build-A-Box Modular Aluminum Trench Shielding System.
Flyability Launches New Generation of Confined-Space Inspection UAVs
Flyability, a Swiss company that has pioneered indoor inspection and exploration drones, launched a new generation of confined-space, inspection units: Elios 2.
Gold Shovel Reorganizes to Better Serve Industry
The Gold Shovel Standard program was established in 2016 to assist in efforts to protect the country’s buried utility infrastructure from accidental damage that can cut off vital services, is costly and poses serious safety risks to construction workers and the general public.
Democrats’ Pipeline Safety Bill Elicits Industry Opposition
House Democrats debuted the first, comprehensive pipeline safety reform bill introduced this session of Congress, containing several provisions opposed by both the intrastate and interstate gas transportation industries.
Unique Shoring Solution for Fire-Safety Installation at Nuclear Plant
Sometimes redundancy is a good thing, especially when considering safety at one of the country’s nuclear generation plants. All systems must be working efficiently with back-ups to the back-ups. That is why one such nuclear power plant contracted the installation of a new generator-powered, fire-suppression system to back up the existing power-dependent, fire-suppression system.
National Excavator Initiative Launches with Help of Celebrity
The importance of pipes, wires and cables buried underground that support our daily lives is being “unearthed” with the help of Executive Producer, Host and Author Mike Rowe and his animated alter ego “micro Mike Rowe.”
- DeLa Express seeks FERC approval for Permian-to-Louisiana gas pipeline project
- OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
- Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
- Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
- Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action
- Ditch Witch 1030
- Michigan lawmakers introduce bills to create septic codes throughout the state
- Indiana American Water to gain 8,000 water customers with Silver Creek Water acquisition
- Arkansas governor allocates $42 million for water infrastructure projects
- Federal judge finds Flint, Mich, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis