Grant Piraine
Apr 20, 2026
In the first two articles, I defined the gap in the damage prevention lifecycle and introduced the role of the Damage Prevention Specialist as the function responsible for managing risk during the operational phase of ground disturbance. What has not been clearly explained is how that role already exists in the field today, and how it connects directly to the work being performed by private locators across Canada and the United States.
For years, the industry has treated private locators as a very narrow service. They are brought in to mark privately owned buried utility infrastructure on a site, and once that is done, their role is considered complete. That view exists across Canada and the United States, and it does not reflect what is actually happening in the field.
Private locators are working on sites every day where public locates have already been completed through the 811 or One Call system. They are not working in isolation. They see the full site, the appurtenances, the service connections, and how everything ties together. In doing so, they are often the first to recognize when something does not make sense, when something is missing, or when the information provided does not align with field conditions.
That is where their value extends beyond marking privately owned buried utility infrastructure. A private locator can help verify public locates, identify inconsistencies, and highlight gaps before ground disturbance begins. This is not a separate service. It is a natural extension of working in the field, where information from multiple sources must be interpreted and applied.
The distinction comes down to scope and intent. If a private locator is only marking privately-owned buried utility lines, they are performing a defined service. When that same individual steps back and looks at the entire project, reviews all available information, identifies gaps, and helps the ground disturbance professional understand the level of risk, they are operating in a different capacity.
That is what defines a Damage Prevention Specialist, and it is the function that NAPUA has defined through its best practices and guidelines to support all stakeholders within the ground disturbance lifecycle.
A Damage Prevention Specialist still performs private locates, but the role extends beyond that work. They are typically engaged by the ground disturbance professional to help interpret conditions, troubleshoot inconsistencies, and bring clarity to the information being relied upon in the field. This includes verification of public locates where required, identification of missing or conflicting information, and a structured understanding of site conditions before ground disturbance begins. The function is not limited to marking. It is about connecting information, identifying uncertainty, and supporting informed decision making based on actual conditions.
This does not replace the 811 or One Call system, and it does not remove responsibility from the ground disturbance professional. The notification process remains the starting point and a critical part of the system. What changes is how that information is managed and applied once it reaches the field.
The industry already has private locators performing this function every day. What has been missing is a clear definition of when that work transitions from a service to a structured role within the ground disturbance lifecycle. NAPUA was created to bring that structure forward and define how this role is applied.
A private locator marks privately owned buried utility infrastructure. A Damage Prevention Specialist helps evaluate and manage the operational risk associated with buried utility infrastructure on a site. I have worked in this role for decades, helping clients reduce risk and operate with near zero damage incidents. Incidents can still occur, but the role of the Damage Prevention Specialist is to control conditions so that when they do, the impact is minimized.
That distinction is what allows the industry to move from simply completing locates to actively managing risk in the field. NAPUA’s goal is to make sure the excavation community understands that private locators are more than just a marking service. They can be used to help look at the whole site, verify what has been marked, identify what is missing, and help you dig safer.