The Need for Standardized Metrics
Standardized damage prevention measurements are a key part of the GSS mission, and the establishment and broad deployment of metrics are core components of Gold Shovel Standard’s efforts to improve public and workforce safety. Continuous improvement by all responsible parties (operators, excavators, locators) is critical to achieve a dramatic reduction in damages, and measurements underpin continuous improvement.
Standardizing the measurement process is an overdue first step to drive performance improvement and increase public and workforce safety. To achieve this ambitious plan, Gold Shovel Standard is working with balanced teams of damage prevention experts to draft, refine and broadly deploy damage prevention metrics for all stakeholders.
That which gets measured, can be managed.
Just as greater transparency has improved industries as disparate as law enforcement (body cameras and abundant video), automobiles (fuel economy and crash test results) and healthcare (hospital readmissions), transparency in damage prevention will deliver increasing benefits to our communities, as well.
Human health and safety measurements have been established and broadly adopted over the last two decades, resulting in undeniable improvements in the safety of workers and the public alike. GSS raises the bar by establishing and working towards broad adoption of similar measurements for damage prevention that will result in a significant reduction in the frequency of line strikes.
In much the same way that measuring worker safety has paved the way for significant improvement (42% in 13 years; source: US Department of Labor), measurements are a necessary ingredient to a dramatic reduction in damages.
Non-Punitive Reporting and Judgment Free Role
To generate measurements for damage prevention, along with industry benchmarks for like entities, Gold Shovel Standard relies on a system of non-punitive reporting. Gold Shovel Standard does not interpret or provide analysis or judgment to data. The role of Gold Shovel Standard is to create the infrastructure for and work towards the broad adoption of standardized metrics, and does not rate or score entities based on the data.
Data Access
Information reported to Gold Shovel Standard during the non-punitive reporting process remains controlled by the stakeholder who provided the data. Gold Shovel Standard will not share information with another entity without express permission to share it.
Data Security
Gold Shovel Standard retains third-party specialist to evaluate the security of the data systems.
Download Report on Gold Shovel Standard’s systems
