The California Underground Safety Board (USB or the Board) was created by the Dig Safe Act of 2016 to investigate accidents, develop excavation safety standards and coordinate education and outreach programs.
Underground Safety Board Mission
The California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board improves public and worker safety by facilitating communication and learning among excavators and the operators of subsurface installations, by investigating accidents to determine their causes, and by developing solutions to improve safety outcomes. The California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board strives to be a model regulatory and investigatory board for other states to emulate.
Underground Safety Board Vision
The California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board seeks to effect a California in which the state’s excavators and subsurface installation owners know and understand
- how to identify the locations of subsurface installations,
- how to protect against dangerous contact with those installations, and
- how to resolve unexpected situations that may arise, and
in which the state’s excavators and subsurface installation owners exercise that knowledge and understanding to promote a culture of mutual respect and dedication to the cause that everyone goes home safe.
Underground Safety Board Values
The actions and decisions of the Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board members and staff will be guided and informed by their commitments to:
- Respect for and attentiveness to the expression of differing backgrounds and perspectives of the board’s members, the public, and stakeholders, as well as for the missions of excavators, operators of subsurface installations, and other federal, state, and local agencies.
- A culture of continuous learning based on the development and free exchange of safety information.
- Inquiry into the facts of and context behind accidents, near misses, and latent safety-related conditions in the field.
- Accessibility to the public and stakeholders, within the bounds of the law, constitutional principles of due process, and ethical conduct.
- Integrity in serving in the public interest and devotion to maintaining the public’s trust.
News and Updates
California’s Underground Safety Board Elects Travis Clausen as Vice Chair
SACRAMENTO – Travis Clausen was voted Board Vice Chair on July 14, 2025. Vice Chair Travis Clausen of Garden Crove has been Regional Construction Manager – Aviation and Defense at Sully-Miller Contracting Company since 2025, where he was Senior Operations Manager from...
California’s Underground Safety Board Releases Draft Standard Safety Practices for Potholing, Solicits Public Comment
SACRAMENTO – California’s Underground Safety Board today released its Draft Standard Safety Practices for Potholing for public comment from July 28 to Sept. 9. The Board welcomes the input of excavators, operators, locators, construction firms, and other interested...
California’s Underground Safety Board Releases Draft Geographic Information Systems Regulatory Language, Solicits Public Comment
SACRAMENTO – California’s Underground Safety Board today released its draft regulatory language for public comment on the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in recording and mapping new subsurface installations. California’s Dig Safe Act requires operators to...
California’s Underground Safety Board Unanimously Elects Bill Johns as Board Chair and Travis Clausen as Vice Chair
SACRAMENTO – California’s Underground Safety Board Vice Chair Bill Johns and Board Member Travis Clausen were unanimously elected Board Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, during the Board’s meetings in April and July. Board members hold leadership positions for one...
Shant Simonian Appointed to California’s Underground Safety Board by Senate Rules Committee
SACRAMENTO – Shant Simonian, of Los Angeles, was appointed to California’s Underground Safety Board on April 30 by the Senate Rules Committee. Member Simonian, of Los Angeles, has been an operational director for UtiliQuest since 2021. Prior to this role, he was...
Underground Safety Board Unanimously Elects Amparo Muñoz as Board Chair and Bill Johns as Vice Chair
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
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...
Events and Meetings
Underground Safety Board Business Meeting
November 17, 2025 - November 18, 2025 at 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm