Page 7 - West Virgina 2017 Issue 2

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hy is it with the most Their Explanntiuns are pertectly rational The process ui change will involve
technologically advanced and persuasive to all who will accept establishing methods to modity
locating equipment in the status quo or the majority opinions business behaviors, communication
the history or locating or those who have resigned themselves requirements and even modlficalions to

underground utilities, damages still to second best. existing laws and/or regulations

°.“‘“§ d“? “’ ’‘.’““"‘“'‘‘“d l‘“.‘‘’ ‘" Yet such individuals or organizations Developing a more ettective damage
pipe. Excavataun equipment is now b . _ d b d b H 1 H
mnufmmd Mm Samy m mm are eing passe y every ay y I preven on program in any oca on

Th _ _ . . those with far less ability who haven t requires that aitected stakeholders

e great push toward sott digging , .
learned what can tbe done. Damage will be required to have direct contact

or properly exposing underground . . .

i H. ._ I . 1 1 . (11 kt prevention is a totally ditterent concept and at diiterent levels than claims-to.

‘C’ ‘ “”"‘ ‘E’ E“ V 3 “ E‘’"‘ E "5 than ’ust dealin with dama es The claims stakeholder artici ation in a

direction. yet damages continue to I 1 i I 1 E I gfi “ I g H b” H m P_}‘. P. h h
Mm and mum ‘mum mu ac In in eresfo ircava 01:,‘ oca or:, ‘ cp kahorlad ve palrl bar: lplvvldl ot er
alammg rm :xflI|fet2yr:r§‘|,lcl|1camfls('|sltt;/leDVr;T‘::|'l:n,l:fseIn or.s, s a e o ers wi e require .

Not so long ago, we heard irom a municipalities and one call centers is {1““’““ 5‘ ”“3""5 ‘W; “fl "2?"
contractor whose solution was to critical to developing a long lasting ‘*_’*’““'m"'° “‘:3°‘f‘§H‘’ "9 id ‘ I
fire anybody on lus crew who had damage prevention pmgmm ‘“}‘1‘,°_“;" 93"?” Y :"’°;‘ .‘,,‘?E
a damage. That might work, but to " °“°' ‘ '9“ Y “ ““ " ° ‘ *

_ ln many states these stakeholders
my knowledge it has never worked h ,, . ,, How can you make a diiterence7 It you
. ave organized as Regional Partners .
beiore. And you will certainly run uul E m C G d A“. believe working together can make a
of employees somewhere down the ‘’ ° °‘;“"‘“'L‘h '°““ ‘““‘° ditterence, get involved in creating the
he Sm‘ , 1” d b (CGA), w ere ey cullabomle to ‘ Lh _ .
. y we ve a eame y now “ham “My and mm dam 2‘ process at promotes eitective damage

that it's not "Did you have a damage?" fa mdflémumi imfifiei CGA 5 prevention and accountability.

but "Why did the damage occur?" that . h _ " .

mm bz _mdmloud_ Regional Partners ips are built upon Henry Ford was once qunled to say,

the principle that satety and damage "Whether a man thinks he can or

why did it occur? was there a tailure prevention is a shared responsibility. he can't do a thing he is right " we

in the process to prevent the damage? lmprovements in underground can allow the current tmstrations,

Or did everybody do everything that iacility satety and damage prevention iailures and disappointments to create
was within their level or expertise and are dependent upon getting all insurmountable obstacles ior us or

the damage still occurred? We've got stakeholders to embrace this principle. we can choose to make these same

to get beyond trying to assign blame V . _ . challenges be the cement that binds us
based solely on "Are there marks on Em‘ °f “’ ‘“°“"“5 "°*"’“‘°l" """ all together to accomplish our common

,, .. never be able to accomplish what ,
the ground: and Are the marks on or . goal Ynu don t really know who you
,, _ . _ . all of us working together can do . .
off? The solutions may involve better ‘ m f E _ ‘ d are or what you can accomplish until
training, zxpeuence level or failure to “ ° 9’ ‘" “V " “" ‘’ 5“““'i‘ as you understand this vital point about
. . _ a damage prevention protessional, _. .

comply with policies. But the idea of d (h d. _.t N _ “h the power ui positive thinking.

"You had a damage and you are gone," W‘ ."“°_ _ E h"'f;"‘ Y1‘: d‘d °.“’ ““ 2 h

dam“ mom any of these issues] various sta e o ers. itiona y, eac we trust that we can convey to you

. stakeholder group has diiterent needs iust how vitally important you are to
either shon or long term , . .
that we d never know about unless we the ettorts to keep west virginia a sater

we cannot maintain an eitective made the ettort to work together. place to live and work, and tor one very
damage prevention or pipeline safety _ _ . _ good reason.. you are! a

prograrn by answering those questions Tthfgg-f;d~_“"d f'f'“L;f'* ‘. F I B 1 ml
Wm‘ H Simplz YES 0! no‘ Fm“ Company afn to er.s are c}ri came! 11 e Ema ion or mmmenfs Ur qrA('5i‘mns Em/1! . my 1

to company and state to state, we work ‘’ “ ” "’“5 ”“T’“3 P“ ‘“ ‘P °’ “"¥"”'i‘“”"X”-‘”'"-

. . . _. making eitective changes to our

with organizations who have resigned d H H t_

themselves to the tact that things can't “"‘“E‘ PM?“ °" 2 °' ’

or won't change.