Underground Infrastructure Directorate

What We Do
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Underground Infrastructure Directorate

Report Excavation Damage

Section 4100 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations requires that an excavator causing or discovering damage must file a report immediately, and in no case longer than two hours, after learning of the damage.

Ideas

The Underground Infrastructure Directorate encourages you to submit your ideas on how to address a public safety concern you see within the Underground Safety Board’s purview.

A drilling machine preparing wholes for the fence pole

Rulemaking

The Dig Safe Act of 2016 created the California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board to enforce Government Code 4216. It directed the Board to create rules and regulations where none currently exist to improve worker and public safety across the state.

Safety Standards Development

The Underground Safety Board is developing safety standards for safe excavation around buried facilities. See below for our progress and how you can participate.

Electronic Positive Response

As of January 1, 2021 California law (Government Code 4216.3(c)(1)(A)) requires that every operator of a subsurface installation, not granted an extension pursuant to 19 CCR 4020 make an electronic positive response (EPR) to each applicable excavation location request ticket through the appropriate regional notification center before the legal excavation start date.

Area of Continual Excavation

Starting July 1, 2020, excavators and operators of California’s underground facilities will begin using Area of Continual Excavation (ACE) locate request tickets which are valid for one year as compared to the standard ticket length of 28 days. A 2016 change to CA law created the new ACE ticket which is available to farmers and certain flood control operators.

Resources

The Dig Safe Act of 2016 created the California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board to enforce Government Code 4216, and directed the Board to create rules and regulations where none currently exist to improve worker and public safety across the state.

Board Resolutions

Adopted Board Resolutions.

Annual Reports & Plans

Strategic Plans, Annual Plans, Results Reports, Cost Reports, Education & Outreach Plan, Reports to the Legislature & Governor, and Legislative Review Reports.

Board Policies

Legislative Framework, Organization, Responsibilities & Accountabilities, Governance, and Compliance.

About the Underground Safety Board

The California Underground Safety Board was created by the Dig Safe Act of 2016 to investigate accidents, develop excavation safety standards and coordinate education and outreach programs. The Board is made up of nine members appointed by the Governor and Legislature. Members are charged with overseeing the safety of excavations around buried utilities by coordinating the state's education and outreach efforts, investigating accidents to determine their causes, setting standards for safe excavation and ensuring the state's safe excavation laws are followed.

More information about the Underground Safety Board

Board Members

The Board is made up of nine members appointed by the Governor and Legislature.

News and Updates

Underground Safety Board Unanimously Elects Amparo Muñoz as Board Chair and Bill Johns as Vice Chair

Jan 27, 2023

SACRAMENTO - Underground Safety Board Vice Chair Amparo Muñoz was unanimously elected Board Chair and Board Member Bill Johns was unanimously elected Board Vice Chair during the Board’s meeting on Mon. Jan. 9. Board members hold leadership positions for one calendar...

Underground Safety Board Re-elects Del Toro and Munoz to Leadership Roles

May 16, 2022

Long Beach, Calif. - Underground Safety Board Chair Marjorie Del Toro and Vice Chair Amparo Munoz were unanimously re-elected during the Board’s meeting on Mon. May 9. Board members hold leadership positions for one calendar year with members eligible to retain the...

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