Carmel, IN Joins Growing Number Of Gold Shovel Standard Communities
SANTA ANA, Calif. (PRWEB) May 01, 2018 -- Carmel, IN Joins Growing Number Of Gold Shovel Standard Communities; GSS Certification Implemented Following Spate of Excavation Damage
The city of Carmel, Indiana has recently joined the growing number of Gold Shovel Standard Communities. Gold Shovel Standard (GSS) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving workforce and public safety and the integrity of buried infrastructure. Gold Shovel Standard Communities are a geographic area or region where partnerships happen that reduce the risk of damages to buried assets found there, preventing life-threatening damages. Networks traversing Gold Shovel Standard Communities are expected to be at reduced risk from line strikes. Carmel, Indiana has previously been listed as a “Best Place to Live” by both CNN Money Magazine, and Niche.com.
The decision to join Gold Shovel Standard (GSS) came following a spate of excavation damage that was the result of digging for telecommunications lines. Line strikes included strikes to five gas lines, which could have led to damages or loss of life. The city put a halt on all work, and enacted a city ordinance requiring all excavators and their sub-contractors to be Gold Shovel Standard Certified.
“The problem of line strikes must be a shared responsibility among asset owners, locators and excavators,” said Mayor Jim Brainard. “Gold Shovel Standard helps municipalities reduce damages to buried assets, saving lives, maximizing commerce, and avoiding wasteful use of municipal resources. We were delighted to find an already-existing program with an easy entry-point, that drives the highest safety yields.”
One of the repeated goals of Gold Shovel Standard is that more than half of North American municipalities rely on GSS certification and metrics when hiring, establishing or renewing franchise rights and offering permits by the end of 2025.
“People deserve to live and work in communities that provide safe and reliable services, and the integrity of buried infrastructure is a key component of delivering that promise,” said Dave Mauerman, Executive Operations for Gold Shovel Standard. “One of the measures of a healthy community is the safety and reliability of its infrastructure, including key buried assets.”
About Gold Shovel Standard
Gold Shovel Standard (GSS) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving workforce and public safety and the integrity of buried infrastructure. GSS believes that greater transparency in all aspects of damage prevention among buried-asset operators, locators and excavators is essential to drive continuous improvement, and vital to increasingly safe working conditions and communities. The Website is http://www.goldshovelstandard.org.
Bob Madison, Gold Shovel Standard, http://www.goldshovelstandard.org, +1 917-664-4062, [email protected]
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