Page 3 - CCGA Best Practices Version English

Introduction
Introduction
The Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA) is an organization promoting
The Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA) is a non-profit
efficient and effective damage prevention for Canada’s vital underground
organization dedicated to securing, maintaining and enhancing the
infrastructure. Through a unified approach and stakeholder consensus, the
integrity of Canada’s underground utility infrastructure.
CCGA works to reduce damages to underground infrastructure - ensuring
public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services by
Damage Prevention is a Shared Responsibility
promoting effective damage prevention practices.
This is the value upon which the CCGA was built. Whether you are a facility
We are a growing organization and through the Regional Partners of the
owner, locator, design professional, notification service contact employee,
Common Ground Alliance in Canada, we represent a wide cross-section of
excavator, contractor or other damage prevention stakeholder, the safety of
stakeholders including:
those living and working near Canada’s underground utility infrastructure,
Electrical Distribution
Railway
Landscape/Fencing
Railways
Land Surveying
Electrical Distribution
and preserving the reliability and integrity of Canada’s critical public services,
Electrical Transmission Land Surveying Regulator
Regulator
Electrical Transmission
Landscape/Fencing
is everyone’s responsibility.
Engineering Locator Road Builders
Locator
Engineering
Road Builders
CCGA Vision
Equipment & Suppliers Municipal & Public Works Safety Organization
Equipment & Suppliers
Municipal & Public Works Safety Organization
To be the unified damage prevention voice for all Canadian national organi-
Excavator Oil & Gas Distribution Telecommunications
zations and associations who share common damage prevention and public
Telecommunications
Excavator
Oil & Gas Distribution
safety solutions.
Homebuilder One-Call Transmission Pipeline
Homebuilder One-Call Transmission Pipeline
Insurance
CCGA Mission
Insurance
To enhance public safety, and increase the integrity and reliability of
For over a decade these stakeholder groups have been active in promoting
Canada’s underground utility infrastructure, through the development and
“Call Before You Dig” and other good damage prevention practices through
implementation of effective and efficient damage prevention practices across
provincial regional partnerships which have come together and
Canada.
amalgamated under the CCGA name to provide a single voice representing
the damage prevention community in Canada. The CCGA is the common
The CCGA’s history is significantly different from its U.S. parent the Common
voice for damage prevention issues of a national scope.
Ground Alliance. In Canada, Regional Partners emerged from the “ground
The CCGA has produced National Harmonized Best Practices based on
up” in Ontario (ORCGA), British Columbia Common Ground Alliance (BCCGA),
the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance Best Practices, version 8.0
and the product of a collaborative effort among all Regional Partners of the
Québec CGA (Info-Excavation (APISQ from 2004 until 2013)), the Alberta
Common Ground Alliance in Canada. The CCGA also acknowledges the
Common Ground Alliance (ABCGA), Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance
established Common Ground Alliance Best Practices (United States) initiated
(SCGA) and more recently, the Manitoba Common Ground Alliance (MCGA)
by the Common Ground Study and presented to the U.S. Secretary of
and the Atlantic Canada Common Ground Alliance (ATLCGA). Recognizing
Transportation in June 1999.
that each Regional Partner shared common national issues, the CCGA began
This set of National Harmonized Best Practices 1.0 - 2014, is the first but,
as an ad hoc committee in 2006 to address those issues from a national
through the commitment and consensus of its members working together
perspective. Over the course of only a few years, it became clear that the
towards a safer Canada, will be part of an ongoing effort to develop new
damage prevention practices as well as improve existing ones. These
CCGA required more structure to maintain momentum on key issues and in
practices represent a dynamic statement of the type of activities that CCGA
2009, a governance model was introduced and accepted by the Committee.
believes would provide optimum levels of diligence towards preventing
In late 2009, and in accordance with the approved governance model, the
damage to underground infrastructure. It is understood that not all
CCGA held its first election to secure an “Executive” - a Chair, Vice-Chair and
stakeholders are presently in a position to adopt all of these practices,
however, it is anticipated that progress will be made towards following these
Secretary.
practices over time.

The CCGA’s primary role is to manage damage prevention issues of national
interest that Regional Partners consider best addressed in a spirit of shared
Comments and suggestions on improving the format and content are
welcome. Our intent is to make the statement of these Best Practices as easy
responsibility through a single voice.
to use as possible. If we can improve upon what you see here, your input in
helping us do so would be most appreciated. All industry stakeholders are
welcome to submit suggestions and to join the Best Practice Committee.

Canadian Common Ground Alliance
Canadian Common Ground Alliance
Best Practices Version 1.0 – October 2014 1 1
Best Practices Version 3.0 – October 2018

98397_ORCGA_BestPract-TEXT-Oct2014.indd 1 16/10/14 9:42 AM