2010 D.I.R.T Report Results Show Calls to 811 Before Excavation Reduces Likelihood of Damage

In October 2011, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) published its annual Damage Information Reporting Tool Analysis and Recommendations Report for the year 2010 . This “DIRT” report is the seventh annual report or its kind produced as a result of The CGA's initiative to compile and analyze reports of damage to utilities’ underground pipelines for the entire United States.   CGA relies on utilities, excavators and others to voluntarily provide the information regarding incidents, and estimates that, in 2008, approximately 63% of the incidents which occurred nationwide were reported.  The primary purpose in collecting this data is to learn why events occur, and how actions by the industry can prevent them in the future; thereby, ensuring the safety and protection of people and the infrastructure.  The CGA's purpose is to reduce underground facility damage, which threatens the public's safety and costs billions of dollars each year.
 
The CGA’s main conclusion from the 2010 DIRT report is that, “a call to the once call center or 811 is the simplest and most effective way to reduce o r eliminate excavation related underground utility damage.”  The data in the report supports the statement that if a call to the one call center is made prior to excavation, damages occur in less than 1% of all excavation.  Overall, 32% of incidents of underground damage lack a call to the one call center.  The report notes that based on its data from a one call center, as much as 50% of first time callers to the one call center learned of the need to “call before you dig” from the increased educational awareness campaign mounted in recent years.

Where there is no inbound call to the one call center, the report notes that the majority of the resulting damage incidents were caused by small fencing installation, irrigation installation, and landscaping excavation, by contractors and homeowners. Of all incidents reported where the “occupant” or homeowner was listed as the excavator, 50% listed a root cause as “No notification made,” which means that some homeowners have not yet seen the call before you dig message, or do not understand that it applies to all excavation, even on your own property.   The report encourages education aimed at these homeowners and contractors, and to increase the consistency and accuracy of locate requests by other contractors. 

Also of note, while the majority of locates are performed by third party or contract locators, these locators are no more accurate than locates performed by the utility employees themselves.  Locates performed by a contract locator accounted for 72% percent of all reported incidents.   The report calls for increased education on best practices in the locate industry and that the bulk of this education be presented to contract locators.   The root cause of 25% of all reported incidents was a faulty locate.  

Finally, the CGA report concludes that the highest percentage of the root causes of these incidents come from insufficient excavation practices.  This includes failing to hand dig around the utility line, failing to maintain clearance with the line, and failing to maintain the locate marks.  However, in 48% of cases where the root cause was the insufficient excavation practice, the actual cause was not noted.    The highest percentage of damage hits occurred during sewer and water line installation projects conducted by excavators and municipalities.  Given this trend in the data, there should be increased campaign to educate excavators on the best excavation practices around utility lines, and utilities reporting the incidents should better document the insufficient practices of the excavator.   

Also, notable from this report is data indicating the number of hits per 1,000 tickets opened by the call centers varies anywhere from 0.5 to 12.0.  If data were available from every state, the CGA could analyze the effectiveness of the state by state regulations governing excavation based on the number of hits in that jurisdiction.

The CGA encourages utilities to use the DIRT report to its advantage, and incorporate the suggestions made within the report.  The report itself can be found at www.cga-dirt.com.  Weltman Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA  is here to help utility providers recover their damages when underground facilities are struck, whether through excavator error or a faulty locate.  To address any questions or inquiries related to this article or our services, please contact our Utility Collections Practice Group.

Sources:
1. See www.cga-dirt.com.
2. www.commongroundalliance/DIRToverview
3. DIRT Annual Report for 2010, found at www.cga-dirt.com