CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) helps our industry understand the root causes of underground utility damages and develop actionable solutions that make communities safer. We encourage you to submit your 2022 damage and near-miss data to DIRT by March 31 to help uncover and address persistent challenges facing the industry.
Each year, facility operators, utility locating companies, 811 centers, excavators, contractors, regulators and other damage prevention stakeholders voluntarily submit their annual damage data to DIRT North America to help create an accurate picture of the current damage landscape. CGA then compiles this data into the annual DIRT Report to highlight trends, gauge the efficacy of damage prevention practices and outreach, inform future Best Practices, and provide recommendations to help reduce underground utility damages in the future.
The March 31 deadline is fast approaching. If you are responsible for DIRT reporting for your organization, please submit your 2022 damage and near-miss data as soon as possible to avoid last-minute problems. We ask that you submit the most accurate and complete data possible to help us build a robust picture of damage trends in North America. Be sure to read DIRT Program Manager Steven Blaney’s guide to common DIRT submission mistakes, and visit the DIRT website for many other useful resources to help your organization prepare your data submission, including upload tutorials, FAQs and past DIRT Report analyses.
If you are a Damage Prevention Institute (DPI) accredited participant, please note that you should enter your damage, near-miss and metrics data through the DPI’s Virtual Private DIRT (VPD). For more information on the DPI, including how to become an accredited participant, visit dpi.commongroundalliance.com.
The future of the damage prevention industry depends on stakeholders like you voluntarily submitting damage data to give us a more complete look into the current state of the industry and help us craft effective recommendations for achieving our goal of zero damages. If your organization has any questions pertaining to DIRT data, or if you need assistance submitting your data, contact Steven Blaney, CGA’s Manager of Data Reporting & Industry Analysis, at [email protected].