Become Certified in Safe Digging Best Practices
Dig Safely New York, Inc. is excited to introduce its Certified Excavator Program. This curriculum incorporates the Nine Elements of an effective damage prevention program into a four (4) hour course, combining various learning styles, including audio, visual, and hands-on exercises. This interactive program is intended to establish a recognized standard in training of best practices to prevent damage to underground facilities, as well as allow professionals to brand themselves as certified in safe digging best practices.
Certification Program Information
- 4 hour course
- Limited to 25 participants per class
- Classes are limited to 25 participants to ensure an intimate and enhanced learning environment.
- Course fee is $25. This fee covers the cost of materials, labor, and venue costs. This fee is non-refundable.
- Course divided into three sections:
- Introduction, Overview, & Guidelines: Review and in-depth discussion on the best practices in safe digging and damage prevention
- Make Your Mark for Safety and Putting Your Knowledge to Work: Group classroom tabletop exercises and presentations
- Evaluation: Program, participant, and trainer evaluation
Course materials
- Transponders
- Workbook: A situational-based workbook has also been developed to give class participants the opportunity to apply knowledge they learned and discussed in section one of the course into what could be a real-life situation in the field. This complex workbook, set up like an adventure novel, will compel groups within the class to work together and apply their knowledge in safe digging best practice order to work through the obstacles encountered in their assigned job.
- Tabletop resources
Certification valid for 5 years
With annual renewal at a free supplemental training event like an Excavator Safety Seminar or Excavator Breakfast
What does certified mean?
When a person has successfully completed the Dig Safely New York Excavator Certification Program in Best Practices for Safe Digging, they are certified by the one-call center for five years, as long as the individual successfully attends free renewal classes each year between certified year and expiration year. Free renewal classes include any individual/company training requested, any free Excavator Breakfast event, or any of the nine annual Excavator Safety Seminars, hosted each March. Successful completion of the Dig Safely New York, Inc. Excavator Certification Program demonstrates a fundamental understanding of the Best Practices that should be used for Safe Digging in accordance with the Common Ground Alliance Best Practices and New York State Code Rule 753.
Each Certified Excavator receives a certification card that should be carried on their person while conducting any excavation.
*** Your certification card will arrive in the mail between four and six weeks following the completion of your class. ***