BEST PRACTICES

Common Ground Alliance Best Practices

The CCGA produced the first set of National Harmonized Best Practices based on the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance Best Practices, version 8.0 and the product of a collaborative effort among all Regional Partners of the Common Ground Alliance in Canada. The CCGA also acknowledges the established Common Ground Alliance Best Practices (United States) initiated by the Common Ground Study and presented to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in June 1999.

This set of National Harmonized Best Practices 5.0 - 2024, which has been updated through the commitment and consensus of its members working together towards a safer Canada, is part of an ongoing effort to develop new damage prevention practices as well as improve existing ones. This is a continuation of the significant goal of the harmonized Best Practices Version 1.0 released in 2014.

On behalf of Canadian Common Ground Alliance Board of Directors, we wish to thank the Best Practices Committee, its Chair, Mr. Gordon Campbell, and all Regional Partner Best Practices Committees, for their collaboration preparing and releasing version 5 of the CCGA Best Practices.

Best Practices exceed the minimum requirements of legislation, and regulations and may also exceed elements prescribed by a Standard. While Best Practices are not enforceable, their relationship with those minimum requirements is critical to the continual improvement of the damage prevention process and overall safety.

The National Best Practices were harmonized across Canada in 2014 and provide buried facility owners and the digging community alike with consensus-driven recommendations that, when followed, enhance the damage prevention process, and improve public, worker, and community safety. The National Best Practices are also a primary example of what can be achieved by consensus-driven engagement.

Download the CCGA Best Practices V 5.0 in English or French (À venir)

Visit the CCGA Best Practice Committee page for more information.