Grant Piraine
Apr 8, 2026
This article builds on Part 1, where the operational gap in the ground disturbance lifecycle was introduced, and expands on how that gap can be addressed in practice.
The Missing Link in Ground Disturbance
The damage prevention industry has made significant progress over the past two decades. One Call systems have established a reliable process for notification and utility owner response, and Subsurface Utility Engineering has brought structure to the design phase where it is applied.
However, once locate information is delivered to the field, there is no consistent framework governing how that information is verified, preserved, and applied during execution. This is where risk is actively managed, and it is also where the lifecycle has remained undefined.
The Problem with the Current Model
Today, the industry relies heavily on temporary surface markings to communicate critical information. As conditions change, those markings degrade or disappear, while the locate ticket may still be considered valid. This creates a disconnect between system status and field reality, where work continues without reliable reference to the information that was originally provided.
The typical response is to request remarking. While this restores visibility, it does not maintain control. It creates a cycle of repeated work, increases demand on the One Call system, and places additional pressure on locate service providers, without addressing how information is managed between those events.
At the same time, the way locate requests are scoped contributes to the problem. Large, undefined tickets are often submitted well in advance of construction, resulting in markings that are either not used when they are fresh or must be recreated multiple times as work progresses. In some cases, these large requests are driven by uncertainty where Subsurface Utility Engineering has not been performed, placing additional demand on the system to compensate for gaps in design phase investigation.
Information from multiple sources also converges in the field. Public locates, Subsurface Utility Engineering where it has been performed, and private locating efforts all contribute to the understanding of site conditions. These inputs are not consistently integrated, and there is no clearly defined role responsible for managing that information during execution.
As a result, responsibility shifts to the ground disturbance professional and, in many cases, the private locator, sometimes without the tools, training, or structure required to interpret and verify that information effectively. There is no consistent function responsible for identifying gaps, reconciling conflicting information, or assessing risk at the ground disturbance execution stage when it has not been mitigated at the outset of the project through Subsurface Utility Engineering.
This is where the system breaks down.
Introducing the Damage Prevention Specialist
The Damage Prevention Specialist fills this gap. This role is defined by function, not by company type or technology. It includes verifying public locate information, identifying privately owned buried utility infrastructure, integrating data from multiple sources, and managing field conditions in real time.
The Damage Prevention Specialist preserves field intelligence, identifies gaps, and supports informed decision-making before and during ground disturbance.
This is not a new concept. Experienced practitioners have been performing this role for decades. What has been missing is structure.
Strengthening the Existing System
This approach does not replace One Call systems, utility owners, or Subsurface Utility Engineering. It strengthens them.
By aligning ticket scope with construction sequencing, preserving field intelligence, and verifying information before excavation, the need for repeated remarking is reduced, communication improves, and field conditions become more controlled.
The result is a more efficient and predictable system without adding burden to existing stakeholders.
Completing the Lifecycle
NAPUA defines the operational phase of the ground disturbance lifecycle and the role responsible for managing it.
Within this framework:
NAPUA defines the framework
The Damage Prevention Specialist manages the process
The Ground Disturbance Professional owns the decisions
This is how the ground disturbance lifecycle becomes complete.
The Completing the Ground Disturbance Lifecycle: The Role of the Damage Prevention Specialist (Part 2) full paper is now available. Click this link to download:
© North American Private Utility Association, 2026. This paper may not be reproduced without written permission.