The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), in cooperation with Carolinas AGC (CAGC), has developed a construction industry Web site dedicated to underground utility damage prevention.

The site www.LocateAccurately.com, contains information on underground utility damage prevention and associated links, such as one-call best practices, state one-call laws, Web and telephone links to one-call centers, and even a link to check the weather at a job site.

"LocateAccurately.com will provide valuable data on the root causes of damages. Historically, damages have been attributed to ’third party’ negligence, which avoids determining the actual cause of damages and generally places the blame on the contractor or excavator," said Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC chief executive officer. "This site will give the contractor the opportunity to report the circumstances surrounding an accident when it occurs. This information will give AGC the data needed to represent the interests of all contractors when addressing underground utility damage prevention."

One of the most important features of the site is a form AGC members can fill out to report damages to underground facilities. The information provided will be used to compile data on damages and their root cause. This is the first time data has ever been collected from the construction industry on underground utility damages. In the past, damage prevention practices have been determined based on information collected by the utility industry and associations representing their interests.

AGC and CAGC have been very active in representing the interests of the construction industry on matters related to underground utility damage prevention. Staff and members participate in the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a national foundation dedicated to underground utility damage prevention. The damage reporting form is identical to a form recommended in the Common Ground Best Practices Study and is endorsed by all stakeholders in the one-call process. All information provided is used for statistical analysis only.

For more information, call 703/548-3118 or visit www.agc.org.

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