Best Practices Version 19.0

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Chapter 1

The Best Practices Manual - Version 19.0

The Best Practices Guide is the preeminent and trusted resource for underground damage prevention with more than 162 practices that cover all phases of the safe digging process. The practices included within this guide are agreed to by consensus of 16 industry stakeholder groups and are designed to improve worker safety, protect vital underground infrastructure, and ensure public safety during excavation activities conducted in the vicinity of existing underground facilities.

CGA releases a new edition of Best Practices every spring with all approved updates that reflect changes in damage prevention.

Best Practices 19.0 – New Practices and Modifications

During the past year, the CGA added and amended practices that appear in Version 19.0. The following new practices and modifications were approved by the Best Practices Committee and CGA Board:

  • Modification of Practice 2-3, Identifning Existing Facilities in Planning and Design1
  • Modification of Practice 2-14, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
  • Modification of Practice 3-1, Proactive Public Awareness, Education and Damage Prevention Activities
  • Modification of Practice 3-2, Specifically Defined Geopolitical Service Area with No Overlap
  • Modification of Practice 3-3, Formal Agreements with Members
  • Modification of Practice 3-4, 811 Center Governance
  • Modification of Practice 3-5, Single Toll-Free Statewide Telephone Number
  • Modification of Practice 3-6, Hours of Operation
  • Removal of Practice 4-4, Single Locator
  • Modification of Practice 4-17, Forecasting/Planning for Predictable Workload Fluctuations
  • Modification of Practice 5-2, White Lining
  • Modification of Practice 5-15, Facility Avoidance
  • Modification of Practice 5-20, Excavation within Tolerance Zone
  • New definition, 811 Center - additionally all references to "one call center" changed to "811 center" throughout the Guide
  • New definition, Electronic White Lining (EWL)
  • New definition, Pothole

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