The CGA Summer Committee Summit was held July 31-Aug. 3, 2023, in Gulf Shores, Ala. This Summit was a resounding success for the Damage Prevention Institute. We made significant progress on two topics: our peer review program and metrics for facility owner/operators.
Peer Review Program
DPI staff have been developing potential models for our peer review process, and intend to kick that off with a pilot program in the beginning of 2024. The DPI Advisory Committee provided excellent feedback and advice on the models and ideas we presented to them at the Summit. We will be testing multiple models of peer review, and will be sharing more information about the process this fall. We will take what we learn from our pilot program and use this knowledge to build our official peer review program. Peer review will be a key component of the DPI and bring to light how DPI participants can be a part of CGA’s 50-in-5 industry challenge.
Metrics for Facility Owner/Operators
The DPI Metrics Sub-Committee produced an outline of the initial metrics the DPI will use to measure facility owner/operator performance regarding updating and sharing mapping records for use by locators and excavators. CGA’s DPI team is working with the Metrics Sub-Committee to reach consensus on the documentation of the proposed metrics, which will then be shared with the DPI Advisory Committee for review and approval. Once approved and final, we will begin socializing the metrics with the broader CGA membership and other stakeholder associations. We anticipate finalizing and rolling out the facility owner/operator metrics in early 2024.
DPI Statistics Report
Over the next few months, you will see some functional and user-experience upgrades to DPI DIRT. We are excited to hear your feedback and make improvements; if you have specific ideas or feedback for us please share them here.
We started small, but we think you will find the newest report functionality useful (see below). Excavators can review their month-over-month damages, near misses and work hours. This report is visible only to your own organization and to those organizations to which you have granted access to your data in DPI DIRT. (If you need help with data grants, please contact us at [email protected].) Data from this report could be useful in safety meetings with management, or your damage prevention or safety teams. It could be also used to celebrate successes with your field teams or identify ways your damage prevention system can improve. See an anonymous example of this report below. To view your own report:
- Login to DPI DIRT.
- Select “Retrieve Data and Reports,” and then from the dropdown menu select “DPI Statistics”
Staff Spotlight: Annmarie Robertson
Annmarie (left) with our DPI Team at the 2023 CGA Conference
Annmarie Robertson joined the DPI as a part-time consultant in August 2022 and provides expertise on the development of the DPI and other CGA programs as needed. A former state and federal regulator, Annmarie has taken a multi-faceted approach to improving damage prevention, building safety programs and resources for stakeholders. Whether it be policy issues, technology concerns, knowledge gaps or other challenges, her approach is research- and data-driven, coupled with lessons learned from stakeholders’ real-world experiences. She believes that shared responsibility and shared accountability are essential to improving damage prevention.
Annmarie has been actively involved in the CGA for 20 years, serving on multiple committees and frequently presenting or leading discussions at CGA conferences and meetings. She received the CGA Ron Olitsky award in 2015 and the CGA Hall of Fame award in 2022. She very much appreciates the dedication to safety and innovation displayed by the CGA community, and is inspired by the “next-level” approach to damage prevention that the DPI offers.
Annmarie is a Purdue graduate. She supports local teams (Go Boilers and Colts!). She loves animals (but currently has none). She also loves to be in, on or near the water – but lives in land-locked Indy. She appreciates fine, healthy cuisine (but doesn’t cook that much). When not working on CGA projects, she spends her time traveling, volunteering, landscaping/gardening, enjoying concerts and festivals, and spending time with family and friends.