Common Ground Alliance (CGA)

Latest Press Releases

As the national association dedicated to protecting underground utilities, people who dig near them, and their communities, the Common Ground Alliance is the preeminent source for damage prevention news and information. CGA’s news releases are available below. For media inquiries, click here.

2024 Year in Review

Sarah Daley / Wednesday, December 18, 2024 0 0

OSHA data shows near 70% decline in trench-related worker deaths; 811 remains critical to eliminating preventable tragedies

Sarah Daley / Monday, December 9, 2024 0 495

WASHINGTON (Dec. 9, 2024) – Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the national nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, applauds the recent decline in trench-related fatalities highlighted by OSHA's preliminary data. This steep 70% decrease since 2022 shows the effectiveness of focused safety partnerships, including CGA's participation in OSHA's Safe Trenching and Excavation Operations Alliance, which emphasizes outreach, education and training.

The largest gathering of its kind in America will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025

Sarah Daley / Thursday, October 31, 2024 0 693

WASHINGTON (Oct. 31, 2024) – Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the premier national association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, announced that registration for the 2025 CGA Conference & Expo will officially open on Nov. 6. In 2025, CGA will be celebrating its 25th anniversary, making the upcoming conference an important milestone.

Attendees will come together to commemorate a quarter century of CGA and will be “looking forward to looking back” on the progress achieved. The CGA Conference & Expo will take place April 7-10, 2025, at the Orlando World Center Marriott. The conference, the world’s largest underground damage prevention event, brings together industry experts and decision-makers for a week of collaboration to address the top issues associated with underground utility damage and the innovative solutions to protect them.

The Common Ground Alliance’s annual Report reveals a decline in damages from 2022-2023 alongside entrenched root causes and ongoing utility locating delays

Sarah Daley / Friday, October 18, 2024 0 937

Washington (Oct. 17, 2024) — The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the national nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, today published its 2023 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report. The 2023 Report introduces the CGA Index, a new metric for evaluating year-over-year damage trends, which revealed both progress and a critical need for accelerated action to prevent damage to vital underground infrastructure.

811 Day, DIRT Report, Damage Prevention Action Center with Sarah Magruder Lyle - Pipeline Podcast

Sarah Daley / Friday, September 6, 2024 0 0

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Press Releases

Latest Press Releases

2024 Year in Review

Trench-Related Fatalities Decrease: Common Ground Alliance Celebrates Progress and Commitment to Safe Digging

OSHA data shows near 70% decline in trench-related worker deaths; 811 remains critical to eliminating preventable tragedies

2025 CGA Conference & Expo Opens Registration on Nov. 6

The largest gathering of its kind in America will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025

2023 DIRT Report: New CGA Index Underscores Both Progress and Challenges in Preventing Damages to Buried Utilities

The Common Ground Alliance’s annual Report reveals a decline in damages from 2022-2023 alongside entrenched root causes and ongoing utility locating delays

811 Day, DIRT Report, Damage Prevention Action Center with Sarah Magruder Lyle - Pipeline Podcast

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OSHA data shows near 70% decline in trench-related worker deaths; 811 remains critical to eliminating preventable tragedies

The largest gathering of its kind in America will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025

The Common Ground Alliance’s annual Report reveals a decline in damages from 2022-2023 alongside entrenched root causes and ongoing utility locating delays

CGA invites industry leaders to celebrate 25 years of damage prevention at the 2025 Annual Conference

Common Ground Alliance and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration encourage safe digging practices

As states roll out infrastructure improvements such as new fiber builds, increasing the efficiency of the underground damage prevention process is essential to reducing delays and protecting communities

Expo showcased technologies to help prevent 14,000+ annual incidents of buried utilities damage in Colorado

During National Safe Digging Month in April, and throughout the year, homeowners must contact 811 before beginning all digging projects including gardening, building a fence or installing a mailbox

Col. Mullane to share lessons in risk management from NASA’s Space Shuttle program

CGA’s newest research highlights telecom’s unique challenges in preventing damage to underground infrastructure amidst the infrastructure boom

Annual Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report provides recommendations to address persistent industry challenges, achieve goal of 50% damage reduction in 5 years

The case study details a GIS pilot program in Minnesota that seeks to reduce dig-ins by enhancing mapping technology and accessibility to 811 system end users

CGA invites thought leaders to share their unique damage prevention perspectives and insights in Colorado Springs, Colo., next April

National trade association will discuss preventing damage to infrastructure at Orlando conference

Common Ground Alliance’s new arm, the Damage Prevention Institute, will reduce damages to buried infrastructure through shared responsibility in data benchmarking and continuous metrics improvement

Annual Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report provides recommendations to address consistent damage root causes and emphasizes the importance of high-quality damage data

White Paper provides insights into how natural gas stakeholders are uniquely positioned to lead the damage prevention industry

O’Malley will share her inspirational story of success at the annual conference, set for April 17-23, 2023 in Orlando, Fla.

The 2022 Technology Report highlights eight damage prevention technology applications driving real-world successes and identifies opportunities for further technology development

Hall brings decades of industry experience to CGA’s new Damage Prevention Institute, which will focus on addressing systemic issues in the damage prevention process

The Damage Prevention Institute will reduce damages to underground infrastructure by developing metrics and a peer review process to significantly increase efficiencies across the U.S. damage prevention system

CGA calls on homeowners to contact 811 before beginning projects that require digging – including gardening, building a fence or installing a mailbox – to prevent damage to essential underground utilities and keep communities safe

Brown to deliver keynote during Wednesday morning of CGA’s 2022 Conference, set to take place in Anaheim April 4-8

CGA invites thought leaders to share their damage prevention success stories and set the agenda for the next decade of damage prevention in Anaheim, Calif., in April

New effort would reduce damages to underground infrastructure and significantly increase efficiencies across the U.S. damage prevention system

Annual Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report highlights persistent damage root causes year over year, despite lower construction activity

The Best Practices Guide 18.0 provides guidance for damage prevention safety and includes new practices that reflect advancements in technology

The 2021 Technology Report identifies existing and emerging damage prevention technologies

A panel of damage prevention experts addressed key topics in excavation safety and the CGA Next Practices Initiative

Report to the Industry identifies three critical issues driving inefficiencies and damages, and recommends four strategies for restoring reliability of the damage prevention system

New CGA White Paper: Insights into Improving the Delivery of Accurate, On-Time Locates

2019 DIRT Report Released

Derby Favorite to Encourage Americans to Call 811 Before Digging

Press Release - Crown Castle Renews its Commitment to Safety

Press Release - CGA Launches 2021 Conference & Expo for March

Press Release - CGA Releases Annual Technology Report 2020

Press Release - CGA Holds Virtual Awards in 2020

Press Release - CGA Launches “Next Practices” Initiative

Press Release - CGA Analysis of Near Miss Data Suggests Late Locates are Underreported

Press Release - DIRT Report: Annual Excavation-Related Damages Increased from 2017 to 2018

Press Release - CGA Publishes Inaugural White Paper

Press Release - Survey Results: 40% of homeowners will put themselves at risk by not calling 811

Press Release - DIRT Report: Damage Has Increased on Pace with Excavation Activity 2015-2017

Press Release - CGA Wins NSC's Green Cross for Safety Advocate Award

Press Release - PG&E Renews its Commitment to Safety with Platinum Level of Support

Press Release - TransCanada Renews Decade-Long Commitment to Safety with Platinum Sponsorship

Press Release - Kinder Morgan Signs on for Highest Level of Support for CGA

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