Elements of an Effective Watch and Protect Program:
Strengthening Excavation Safety Through Education, Accountability, and Collaboration
In today’s rapidly developing infrastructure environment, protecting buried utility lines—especially natural gas facilities—is essential to public safety and project success. Excavation-related damages can lead to catastrophic incidents, costly repairs, and extended project delays. The Watch and Protect Program was developed by TRC Companies as a proactive approach to safeguarding underground utilities during excavation. The program fosters a culture of safety and accountability by emphasizing education and collaboration through streamlined communication. Here we will explore the essential elements that create an effective Watch and Protect Program that is beneficial to everyone affected by construction activities.
The Watch and Protect Program is designed to ensure the safety of buried facilities and those who work near them.
Its core goals include:
Safeguarding Infrastructure During Excavation
Enhancing Safety for Workers and the Public
Minimizing the Risk of Utility Conflict and Project Delays
Promoting Collaboration between Contractors, Locators, and Facility
Owners
Facilitating impactful, lasting education and active field support
The program’s success lies in its ability to foster greater accountability, deliver timely education, and proactively address issues as they arise on-site.
A cornerstone of the program is the delivery of on-site educational sessions designed to reinforce safe digging practices and damage prevention protocols.
These discussions include:
Proper Locate Procedures and Interpreting Utility Markings
Importance of Exposing Marked Facilities before Digging
Properly Supporting and Protecting Exposed Lines
811 Best Practices and Excavator Responsibilities
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By engaging workers directly in the field, Watch and Protect representatives create working relationships that develop a deeper understanding of excavation safety. This hands-on approach increases situational awareness, improves job site processes, and reduces the likelihood of utility strikes. Most importantly, it promotes an understanding of the shared responsibility for damage prevention across all groups involved in construction activities.
One of the most important educational aspects of the program is reinforcing proper 811 procedures.
This includes:
Educating Contractors on When and How to Notify 811
Explaining the Responsibilities of both Excavators and Facility Owners
Encouraging Proper Hand-Digging Protocols
Discouraging Complacency
Excavation crews often encounter situations on-site that raise questions and concerns about facility markings, ownership, and locate response timeliness. The Watch and Protect Program ensures these concerns are addressed quickly and clearly. Representatives provide:
Clarification on Identifying and Understanding Markings
Guidance on Facility Owner-Specific Processes and Procedures
Reinforcement of the Importance of Maintaining Visible, Accurate Locates.
Real-time field support empowers contractors to proceed confidently and safely. By resolving on-site issues, the program reduces confusion and helps maintain compliance with 811 regulations and facility owner requirements.
In any complex excavation project, discrepancies in utility locates can occur. An effective Watch and Protect Program includes a rapid response mechanism to:
Identify Locate Challenges Early through Visual Inspections
Ensure Accuracy Adjustments to Markings are Made Promptly
Facilitate Coordination and Understanding Between Contractors, Locators, Facility Owners, and Homeowners alike.
These steps prevent project delays and eliminate downtime by ensuring locate issues are identified and swiftly resolved. This proactive approach minimizes excavation risk and keeps projects progressing safely and efficiently.
Major improvements to project outcomes have been seen with the utilization of Pre-construction Meetings. Pre-Construction Meetings are essential for larger or high-risk projects to align all stakeholders. These meetings serve to:
Coordinate Contacts between Contractors, Locators, and Facility Owners
Review Project Scopes and Identify Critical Dig Locations
Clarify Safety Protocols and Mitigation Strategies
Define Timelines, Procedures, and Operational Standards
Address Potential Issues before Excavation Begins
Establishing expectations up front and promoting open communication builds a foundation for safer, more efficient work. These meetings also serve to build trust and cooperation among all parties involved.
While accurate locates are a key part of excavation safety, effective damage prevention goes beyond markings. The Watch and Protect Program encourages contractors to:
Confirm Utility Locations through Potholing/Daylighting and Hand-Digging
Avoid Mechanical Excavation near Marked Lines
Take Accountability for Safe Excavation Practices
Frequent and repeated interaction during excavation helps ensure that safe practices are being followed throughout the project lifecycle. By promoting accountability and maintaining engagement during active digging, the program provides the necessary Safety Pipeline that can significantly reduce the risk of damage and delay.
An Effective Watch and Protect Program can also enhance the impact of the cornerstone of any Damage Prevention Program- Community Outreach. Taking a proactive approach to informing the public helps build awareness and educate those outside of traditional construction trades who may still pose a risk to underground utilities.
Effective outreach efforts through the program include making regular visits to tool rental companies, landscape and garden centers, and home improvement stores. These locations often serve homeowners, landscapers, and small contractors who may rent equipment and begin digging projects without fully understanding the risks involved. By providing educational materials, answering questions, and reinforcing the importance of 811 and proper locate request procedures, we can help spread the gospel of Safe Digging where it’s often needed most.
Additionally, active involvement in local 811 Damage Prevention Councils keeps Watch and Protect Specialists up to date on issues being faced by in the field. These meetings offer fantastic opportunities for education and clarification as well as a chance to continue to enhance collaboration between facility owners, contractors, and the public. Together, these community-facing efforts strengthen the program’s effectiveness and extend safety awareness beyond the jobsite.
The benefits of a well-implemented Watch and Protect Program are clear and measurable:
Enhanced Worker and Public Safety: Reducing the risk of accidents through proactive education and field monitoring
Lowered Risk of Facility Damage: Preventing costly repairs and service interruptions by minimizing excavation-related strikes
Improved Communication and Coordination: Facilitating seamless interaction among contractors, locators, and owners
Increased Project Efficiency: Minimizing project delays through on-site support and timely problem resolution
Greater Compliance with Safety Protocols: Promoting Accountability to Ensure Adherence to State Regulations, 811 Processes, and Facility Owner Standards
These outcomes make the Watch and Protect Program an invaluable asset to any utility damage prevention strategy. However, an effective Watch and Protect Program goes beyond safeguarding underground infrastructure- it develops a proactive culture of safety and accountability. By combining education, outreach, field support, pre-construction coordination, and streamlined communication, the program enhances safety through every phase of an excavation project.
With the rising complexity of utility networks and the increasing demand for safe digging practices, adopting a Watch and Protect Program is not just beneficial—it’s essential. Commitment to continuous improvement through enhanced damage prevention approaches has become an essential step in meeting the growing demands of all construction stakeholders.
Achieving the shared goal of protecting workers, the public, and critical infrastructure by understanding and implementing the elements of an Effective Watch and Protect Program will strengthen the foundation of modern utility management and will help us to build a safer, more efficient future.
This article was written by:
Michael Burroughs, Field Supervisor Damage Prevention
mburroughs@trccompanies.com
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