Excavation damage continues to be a leading cause of damage to underground facilities. It was cited as the cause in over 15% of all pipeline incidents in 2006. Effective damage prevention programs are necessary to prevent damages to underground facilities and to ensure public health and safety, environmental protection and continuity of vital services. All stakeholders, including the public, share responsibility for and the benefits of damage prevention. Although much has been done to address excavation damage it continues to be a problem. The Virginia Pilot Project for Incorporating GPS Technology...
Excavation damage continues to be a leading cause of damage to underground facilities. It was cited as the cause in over 15% of all pipeline incidents in 2006. Effective damage prevention programs are necessary to prevent damages to underground facilities and to ensure public health and safety, environmental protection and continuity of vital services. All stakeholders, including the public, share responsibility for and the benefits of damage prevention. Although much has been done to address excavation damage it continues to be a problem. The Virginia Pilot Project for Incorporating GPS Technology to Enhance One-Call Damage Prevention was undertaken as a "proof-of-concept" project to research and implement new and existing technology to significantly enhance the development and communication of accurate information among stakeholders regarding the exact location of planned excavations. Resulting improvements in the one-call damage prevention process would in turn have a positive impact on damage prevention and the safety and reliability of operations of underground facilities.