A Wholistic Approach to the Damage Prevention Industry

Paradigm shift will be req'd, i.e., “Wholistic Approach.” Until then, we're stuck/will remain using a 20th century approach in the 21st century. "Wholistic Approach" to the prevention of utility damages is identical to holistic but visually emphasizes the root word "Whole". It is characterized by the belief that the parts (Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 & Phase 4) of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the Whole. The solution to the prevention of utility damages demands a "Wholistic Approach" and a strategic vision of what can be achieved.

For those of us in the Damage Prevention Industry, let’s discuss: Precautions. As defined: “measures taken in advance to prevent something dangerous, unpleasant, or inconvenient from happening”. An example, the Project had taken the Precautions of a Rigorous Utility Investigation for the Project: Planning, Design, Construction & Asset Management.

For Phase 1 Project Planning & For Phase 2 Project Design, use ASCE/CI/UESI 38-22 Standard Guideline for Investigating and Documenting Existing Utilities. This is an update to the CI/ASCE 38-02 standard reflecting the updated changes in practice, technologies, and research for detecting/documenting the uncertainties of locations of underground utilities and other infrastructure.

For Phase 3, Project Construction & Phase 4 Project Asset Management, use ASCE/CI/UESI 75-22 Standard Guideline for Recording and Exchanging Utility Infrastructure Data establishes the minimum, optional, and conditional elements of spatial and nonspatial attribute data associated with utility infrastructure. The standard guideline also provides recommendations for effective practices to facilitate data exchange among project stakeholders. It is essentially a “how to specify the creation of a utility certified record drawing” so that individual utility owners’ facilities and project utilities have standardization rather than literally hundreds of differing formats and accuracies and amounts of details about the new or relocated utilities within a project’s limits. The guideline is critical to capture, document, and exchange utility data for project scoping, planning, design, construction, operation, and long-term management of utility systems as well as the management of public right-of-way and properties throughout which utility infrastructure are installed. It is also beneficial to facilitate the interaction among stakeholders for managing utility and other civil infrastructure.

Until a "Wholistic Approach" is taken/enforced, these tragic/needless deaths & utility damages will continue to occur!

Today’s project is Important. But tomorrow’s project is even more Important! Even if we’re no longer around...  We live in an Idea Economy!  Ideas need vision, planning & execution.