August 12, 2026
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and Common Ground Alliance (CGA) have announced a Statement of Shared Principles focused on improving 811 safe digging awareness, preventing underground utility strikes and promoting consistent safety practices for equipment operators.
The collaboration encourages operators to contact 811 before digging and reinforces safe practices when working around underground infrastructure.
As an initial action, AEM and CGA are recommending that manufacturers add an 811 reminder decal to non-highway equipment that could unintentionally contact underground utilities. Participating manufacturers could begin placing the decal on applicable new equipment sold in the United States by August 2027.
The highly visible reminder encourages operators to contact 811 and have underground utilities marked before work begins.
Existing equipment can also be retrofitted. Equipment owners can request a no-cost license from CGA to reproduce the official decal for their fleets.
The initiative addresses a significant safety and infrastructure challenge. An estimated 213,985 incidents involving damage to underground infrastructure were reported across the United States in 2025.
Utility strikes can cause power outages, service interruptions and potentially serious injuries. AEM and CGA say equipment operators represent the last line of defense against these incidents, making awareness immediately before digging especially important.
“Preventing damage to underground infrastructure is a shared responsibility,” said Sarah K. Magruder Lyle, President and CEO of CGA.
While underground utility damage is a major concern on construction and infrastructure projects, the initiative also targets agriculture and other industries using equipment capable of digging or disturbing the ground.
Farmers and agricultural operators can encounter buried infrastructure in fields, farmyards and rural rights-of-way, expanding the importance of safe digging practices beyond traditional construction sites.
AEM and CGA plan to continue collaborating on industry education, consistent safety guidance and practical tools for preventing underground infrastructure damage.
The 811 equipment decal represents an early step in that partnership and provides manufacturers, fleet owners and operators with a simple reminder: contact 811 before digging.
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