The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) have announced a Statement of Shared Principles aimed at strengthening safe digging awareness, supporting consistent industry guidance and promoting best practices for contacting 811 before digging and operating equipment around underground infrastructure.
As an initial action under the agreement, the organisations are recommending that manufacturers of non-highway equipment add an 811 reminder decal to machinery that could unintentionally dig into underground utilities.
Contact with buried utilities can cause power outages and service interruptions, while also exposing equipment operators and bystanders to serious injury or death. The decal is intended to remind operators to contact 811 and have underground utilities marked before starting work.
Under the recommendation, the decal could appear on all applicable new equipment sold into the US market by August 2027.
"Our members build the machines that build, feed and power the world, and safety is central to that work," said Megan Tanel, AEM president and CEO. "Adding an 811 decal is a simple, visible way for equipment manufacturers to remind operators to contact 811 before digging or working near underground infrastructure. We are proud to work with CGA to help share this important safety message across the industry."
Endorsed by the boards of both organisations, the best practice positions equipment operators as the last line of defence against underground utility strikes. In 2025, an estimated 213,985 damages to underground infrastructure were reported across the United States.
The initiative supports CGA’s goal of reducing damage to underground infrastructure while helping keep workers and communities safe and connected to critical utilities.
"Preventing damage to underground infrastructure is a shared responsibility, and this best practice will remind equipment operators closest to the dig to contact 811 before starting their work," said Sarah K. Magruder Lyle, President and CEO of the Common Ground Alliance. "When non-road equipment manufacturers stand with us, we reach operators before a shovel ever hits the ground. That's how we reduce our top driver of damages every year, which is failure to contact 811 before digging."
The recommendation covers both new and existing equipment. Participating manufacturers will apply the decal to new machines during production, while owners of equipment already in the field can request a no-cost licence from CGA to reproduce the official 811 decal and retrofit their fleets.
Safe digging is not limited to construction activities. Farmers and other agricultural operators can also encounter underground lines in fields, farmyards and rural rights-of-way. The initiative therefore seeks to reinforce the same safety practice across industries where equipment may dig, pull or impact underground infrastructure.
"As manufacturers, we provide the equipment, so we have a role to play in reminding every operator to contact 811 if the ground is not clearly marked for utilities," said Kevin Thomas, executive vice president, Industrial Equipment Division, at Alamo Group Inc. and 2027 show Chair of The Utility Expo. "Attendees can expect to see this decal on equipment across the show floor at The Utility Expo 2027 — a clear signal that our industry takes damage prevention seriously."
The Statement of Shared Principles extends beyond the decal initiative, with AEM and CGA committing to continued cooperation on consistent safety guidance, industry education and practical measures to help prevent damage to underground infrastructure.
The 811 reminder decal is an early action under the partnership, providing manufacturers, equipment owners and operators with a visible reminder to check for underground utilities before beginning work.
