VA 2016 State Damage Prevention Program

Overview

Main Objective

Development of a Computer Based Training (CBT) course on the Virginia Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act (Act), funded by the 2014 PHMSA SDP grant (DTPH56-13-G-PHPS08), which has proved to be a successful mechanism for educating both excavators and homeowners on the Act. To-date over 3,000 users representing 168 companies have taken the course. The course is available to all stakeholders from most mobile devices. Due to the success of the course, Virginia Utility Protection Service, Inc. has received numerous requests from excavators, locators and the Virginia State Corporation Commission to develop additional content to the CBT and to create a Spanish version of the course.

Public Abstract

Under the terms of this grant agreement, the Recipient will address the following applicable elements listed in the approved application, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. §60134 (a),(b):

• Element 1 (Effective Communications): Participation by operators, excavators, and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of methods for establishing and maintaining effective communications between stakeholders from receipt of an excavation notification until successful completion of the excavation, as appropriate.
• Element 4 (Effective Employee Training): Participation by operators, excavators, and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of effective employee training programs to ensure that operators, the one-call center, the enforcing agency, and the excavators have partnered to design and implement training for the employees of operators, excavators, and locators.
• Element 5 (Public Education): A process for fostering and ensuring active participation by all stakeholders in public education for damage prevention activities.
• Element 8 (Technology): A process for fostering and promoting the use, by all appropriate stakeholders, of improving technologies that may enhance communications, underground pipeline locating capability, and gathering and analyzing information about the accuracy and effectiveness of locating programs.

Relevant Files & Links