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PCCA Journal|4
th
Quarter 2011
33
preceded by a locate request.
“As we approach the five-year anniversary of 811 serving as
the best way for all excavators nationwide to reach their local
one-call center, it’s reaffirming to see data that supports what
many CGA members have long believed: Knowing what’s be-
low by calling 811 before digging is the most important step
in preventing underground utility incidents,” CGA President
Bob Kipp said.
Overall, underground utility events continue to be a major
problem, with 165,000 incidents estimated in the United
States in 2010. The number of incidents in 2010 was relatively
similar to that of the past several years, and it continues to
pose a threat to safety. The 2010 DIRT Report examined the
root causes of slightly more than half of all events submitted,
and the top causes were identified as follows:
Excavation practices not sufficient: 38 percent
Notification not made: 32 percent
Locating practices not sufficient: 25 percent
The report also noted that small fencing, irrigation, and
landscaping contractors were most often involved in in-
cidents resulting from a failure to notify a one-call center
before digging.
Since 2008, the number of incidents submitted to the DIRT
Report has declined, possibly due to economic factors af-
fecting the amount of work performed. To create a baseline
figure that accounts for changes in excavation activity and
tracks year-to-year progress, this year’s report features an
increased emphasis on measuring damages per 1,000 one-call
center requests.
The 2010 DIRT Report benefited from inbound locate
request data from 31 one-call centers. Comparing this one-call
data to incident data submitted for those states in 2010, CGA
determined an average of 3.2 incidents occurred per 1,000
locate requests last year.
“One of the most important things we can do on the CGA
Data Reporting and Evaluation Committee is to make sure we
are creating a report that will be helpful to both the industry
at large and individual stakeholder organizations,” said Bob
Terjesen, committee co-chair. “Our hope is that stakeholders
use this report to improve their own data collection effort and
better target their damage prevention initiatives.”
The complete DIRT Annual Report for 2010 is available for
download at www.commongroundalliance.com.
O
SHA has released twelve
educational videos
about potential hazards
in the construction
industry. The videos
are short, easy-to-understand segments
that are based on real-life incidents and
include detailed depictions of hazards
and the safety measures that would have
prevented these incidents. 


“I urge anyone who works in the
construction industry or operates a con-
struction business to watch the videos.
Share them with your co-workers and
friends in the construction industry,
organize screenings for your workers,
and post them to your web pages,” said
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Oc-
cupational Health and Safety Dr. David
Michaels. “Every step we take to educate
workers about their rights and the safety
measures employers must take to protect
workers in construction helps us avoid
preventable injuries and the tragic loss
of life.”


The videos cover falls in construction,
workers who are struck by vehicles and
heavy equipment, sprain and strain inju-
ries, trenching and excavation hazards,
and carbon monoxide poisoning. They
are written for workers and employers,
including workers with limited English
proficiency.
Most of the videos are two- to four-
minutes long, and all but one are ani-
mated. Each video is available in English
and Spanish for web viewing or down-
loading. All video scripts are also avail-
able online in English and Spanish. The
videos are located at www.osha.gov/dts/
vtools/construction.html (Spanish-lan-
guage videos are available at www.osha.
gov/dts/vtools/construction.html_sp).
OSHA Offers Animated
Videos on Construction Hazards