Locator Lessons: Safe Digging as a Shared Responsibility

Details

Created: Wednesday, 28 April 2021 10:55

Written by Dana Raidt

April is National Safe Digging Month, which highlights one of the biggest contributors to safe digging: shared responsibility. As damage prevention professionals navigate day-to-day work issues, it’s easy to become hyper-focused on one’s own daily routine and role. But safe digging requires teamwork among everyone involved in excavation: locators, excavators, facility owners/operators, homeowners and notification centers alike.

Read more ...

2021 Damage Prevention Meetings Recap

Details

Created: Monday, 22 March 2021 14:03

Written by Taylor Jones

Damage Prevention meetings are held by and for the excavation community each spring. They are focused on safe digging education with content provided by Gopher State One Call, the Minnesota Common Ground Alliance and the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety. The goal of these meetings is to inform locators, utility operators and excavators about underground utility safety protocols and best practices, and to ensure that safety continues to be the No. 1 goal across Minnesota’s damage prevention industry.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings were conducted virtually this year. In addition to virtual discussions, content is still available to view independently for anyone who is interested. Visit the DP meetings page on the Gopher State One Call website to go through the modules at your own pace. There is also a DP meeting guide PDF to follow along with while you watch the videos if you like.

Here are some of the highlights, key takeaways and important announcements from the 2021 Damage Prevention meetings:

Read more ...

Gopher State One Call Locate Request Process Changes

Details

Created: Friday, 19 March 2021 09:32

Written by Gopher State One Call

These changes apply to online and call center requests effective early April 2021.

To all Gopher State One Call users:

Please take a moment to review the following Gopher State One Call locate request process changes. The target effective date for these changes is early April 2021. They apply to both web-submitted and call center requests.

Read more ...

2020 Ticket Volume and What’s Ahead in 2021

Details

Created: Wednesday, 17 March 2021 12:54

Written by Dana Raidt

From a global pandemic to extraordinary weather events, 2020 was a record-setting year in many ways, including for the Minnesota damage prevention industry.

Each year, Gopher State One Call compiles ticket submission and transmission volume data. This information is shared to help make correlations and gain insights about the state of Minnesota’s damage prevention efforts.

2020 Highlights

Here are some of the noteworthy numbers from this truly unprecedented year:

Read more ...

Handling Meet Tickets Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Details

Created: Tuesday, 16 February 2021 15:11

Written by Taylor Jones

When it comes to underground utilities, safety and damage prevention are the ultimate goals. In 2020, the industry was forced to contend with a new risk: the COVID-19 pandemic.

The damage prevention industry has responded nimbly, adjusting day-to-day operations and implementing protocols that help flatten the curve and limit the spread. Part of that “new normal” requires changes in how locators, facility operators and excavators address Meet tickets.

Read more ...