These are some of the many difficult questions that remain unanswered due to the lack of data on a national level.  Being able to answer these questions remains a necessary step in ensuring the safety and protection of people and the infrastructure

To begin to address some of these questions, The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) stakeholders have focused on developing a method for national data collection.   In late 2008, MISS DIG, in conjunction with the CGA, launched its Virtual Private DIRT (www.damagereporting.org/missdig) - a secure web application for the collection and reporting of underground damage information.  Virtual Private DIRT allows users to submit damage and near miss reports; browse files submitted by the user’s organization; administer role-based company and user information; edit personal profiles; change/retrieve password; and submit feedback and questions.

The primary purpose in collecting underground facility damage data is to analyze data, to learn why events occur, and how actions by industry can prevent them in the future; thereby, ensuring the safety and protection of people and the infrastructure.   Data collection will allow MISS DIG and the CGA to identify root causes, perform trend analysis, and help educate all stakeholders so that damages can be reduced through effective practices and procedures. 

The program’s purpose is to reduce underground facility damage, which threatens the public's safety and costs billions of dollars each year. In order to better understand where, how and why these damages are occurring, we require accurate and comprehensive data from all stakeholders. The data will be analyzed and our findings will be issued via comprehensive reports.   The data will NOT be used for enforcement purposes or to try and determine damage liability. The individual identities of parties involved with records submitted will be kept confidential.

In order to fully understand the complex issues surrounding underground facility damage on a national scale, thorough analysis of a large volume of statistical data is required.  Although numerous agencies of various types and sizes have tracked similar data elements, there has been no prior coordinated analysis that represents all of the stakeholder groups.

Please visit the link below to learn more about Virtual Private DIRT; view training tutorials, download important forms, register, and begin entering data.

www.damagereporting.org/missdig/

Forward any questions to Eric Urbain, Damage Prevention Liaison, at (248) 370-6424 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it