Ohio - Ohio Public Utilities Commission - 2009 State Damage Prevention Grant

Overview

Main Objective

Under this grant award, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio will work with the Ohio Utilities Protection Service to support the efforts of the Ohio Marking Standards Committee. A wide range of methods will be used to educate and encourage all stakeholders to adopt the new marking standards, including:

1. A professional marketing service will develop an effective marketing strategy targeting facility owners/operators, locators, professional excavators, and homeowners.
2. The Ohio Utility Protection Service will both support and promote the new marking standards through its board members, staff, newsletters, and use of its web site to educate and survey excavators and homeowners at safety events and trade shows and by conducting phone surveys to measure the campaign's success.
3. Ohio's three Utility Coordinating Councils and six Common Ground Alliance Regional Partners will actively promote the new marking standards among their members.
4. Statewide industry groups will promote the new marking standards at meetings, in newsletters, and on their web sites.
5. Production of a training video that targets professional excavators. The video will be produced in both English and Spanish languages.
6. Production of "pocket" guides that provide graphic depictions of the new marking standards and describe their meanings as well as Ohio's excavation laws and safe excavation practices. The guides will also promote Ohio's six Common Ground Alliance Regional Partners and 811.

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