Monthly Update July 2020

Underground Safety Alliance And 4iq Solutions Announce Software Partnership

Author: Mary Patricia Kindt, Underground Safety Alliance

The Underground Safety Alliance (USA), the umbrella not-for-profit organization for Indiana 811 and Kentucky 811, and 4iQ Solutions, a developer of call center software and cloud-based services, recently announced a partnership to bring 4iQ’s leading software platform to USA’s 811 notification centers. The software platform, Exactix, will help provide the call centers with a geocoding engine to define safe and accurate excavation notification areas. For more information about the partnership, click here.

Dig Safely New York Maintains Appropriate Response Times During Covid-19

Author: Devin R. Negrete, Dig Safely New York, Inc.  

Despite the current environment of COVID-19, Dig Safely New York (DSNY) has been able to maintain appropriate response times for incoming calls. The staff has answered location requests, worked with its utility members on any issues they may have had, and continued the process towards launching its new software platform, Exactix.

Although reduced office occupancy and working from home for staff is not permanent, the organization is taking steps to comply with the State and Federal COVID-19 regulations by purchasing what is needed for the office. For example, DSNY have CDC-approved reusable face masks designated for employees and disposable masks for all visitors who enter the building without a mask. Employees have also been asked to take certain precautions before entering the building such temperature checks. As they grow closer to reopening our facility, DSNY will mandate new regulations. This will not only protect visitors, but also employees so everyone can all stay safe together.

Share Your 8/11 Plans

Author: Khrysanne Kerr, CGA Vice President Of Marketing And Outreach

What does your organization have planned for August 11 (8/11) Day this year? Share your planned activities and events (virtual or otherwise) with damage prevention industry peers on CGA’s Engage platform.

Toolkits from previous 811 Day commemorations are available on the CGA website. New materials and resources, including infographics and social media messages, will be posted in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more details.

Technology Report Webinar And Presentation Slides Available For Download

Author: Erika Lee, CGA Vice President

Last month, the CGA Technology Committee held a webinar to discuss the third annual Technology Report, “Technology Advancements and Gaps in Underground Safety 2020,” to help the damage prevention industry understand the importance of technology used to prevent damages, protect assets and increase overall safety. The webinar also highlighted the three case studies featured in the report from CGA members SeeScan, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Leica Geosystems.

For those that were unable to attend or would like to go back and relisten to the webinar and view the presentation slides, click here. You can also download the full report here. 

Call 811 Generates Awareness At Belmont Stakes

Author: Khrysanne Kerr, CGA Vice President of Marketing & Outreach

Call 811 was back in the saddle at the 152nd Belmont Stakes! The CGA partnered with USA North 811 to bring the national call-before-you-dig number back to horseracing with the sponsorship of jockey Junior Avarado as he rode Modernist. The nationally televised and livestreamed event brought safe digging awareness to a large viewing audience across the globe.

For the first time in history, the Belmont Stakes was the first jewel of the Triple Crown with the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes postponed until later this summer. Stay tuned for more horseracing news and how your organization can get involved.
 

Cga Launches Next Practices Initiative

Author: Sarah Magruder Lyle, CGA President & CEO

We want to ensure members saw the recent announcement regarding the launch of the Next Practices Initiative which brings together damage prevention leaders to identify and support new industry practices and solutions to dramatically improve public safety. This concept was formed during CGA’s Inaugural Damage Prevention Roundtable, which brought together leadership across CGA’s 16 stakeholder groups to discuss challenges and solutions that can help reduce damages to critical underground infrastructure. The Next Practices Initiative will be overseen by an Advisory Group made up of leaders from these stakeholder groups.

For more information about the Next Practices Initiative, click here.

Cga Announces Program To Expand Dirt Submission Options Via Third-Party App Integration

Author: Sarah Magruder Lyle, CGA President & CEO

The CGA recently announced it is launching an effort to expand options for stakeholders to submit their damage incident and near miss data into the Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT). To achieve our collective damage prevention goals, it is critical that we have accurate and timely data from all damage prevention stakeholders and DIRT plays a central role in this effort.

The initiative will focus on enhancing options for companies submitting data directly into DIRT and will formalize a process for data submission through third-party app integration. The effort will address two goals of CGA’s Data Reporting & Evaluation Committee: to expand data submitted into DIRT across all stakeholder groups; and increase the “completeness” of data submitted into DIRT as measured by DIRT’s Data Quality Index (DQI).

For more information about this new program, please contact the DIRT team at dirt@commongroundalliance.com.