October 21, 2026
The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) has launched a free Spanish-language excavation safety training and certification program designed to improve safe digging practices and help protect Spanish-speaking workers from underground utility strikes.
Available online and self-paced, the training provides excavation professionals with guidance on utility damage prevention, safe digging practices and use of the 811 system to have underground utility lines marked before excavation begins. Participants who complete the curriculum will receive a certificate of completion in excavation safety.
Underground utilities—including electrical, natural gas, water and telecommunications infrastructure—can pose serious hazards when excavation takes place without proper planning and utility locating.
According to CGA’s Economic Impact Report, damage to underground utilities costs the U.S. economy an estimated $83.2 billion annually.
Direct repair costs account for only 5.9% of the total economic impact. CGA says that for every dollar spent repairing damaged infrastructure, nearly $16 more can be lost through service interruptions, emergency response, community impacts, injuries and loss of life.
The new training program is intended to address these risks by making excavation safety education more accessible to a significant segment of the construction workforce.
The initiative is supported by a Spanish-language awareness campaign targeting markets including California, Texas, Florida, Arizona and New York.
CGA says Hispanic and Latino workers represent a significant and growing portion of the U.S. construction workforce, with their percentage of the industry’s workforce doubling since 2000.
By providing the curriculum in Spanish and making it available free of charge, CGA aims to reach excavation professionals working across construction, landscaping, fencing and other industries where digging around underground infrastructure is common.
“Protecting our essential frontline workers is at the core of CGA’s mission,” said CGA President and CEO Sarah Magruder Lyle, adding that the program is intended to provide Hispanic and Latino excavation professionals with resources to help protect themselves, their colleagues and their communities.
A central component of the online curriculum is education about the 811 system, which allows excavators to request that underground utilities be identified and marked before digging begins.
The self-paced format allows workers to complete the training online while learning practices intended to reduce utility strikes and improve excavation safety.
Upon completion, participants earn a certificate demonstrating completion of the excavation safety curriculum.
The Spanish-language program and accompanying awareness campaign are part of a multi-year CGA effort to make utility damage prevention education and resources more accessible across the industry.
By removing both language and cost barriers, the initiative is designed to expand access to safe digging education while supporting CGA’s broader goal of reducing underground utility damage and protecting workers and communities.
Explore related articles you won’t want to miss:
Is Your Construction Data Ready for AI?
What Is Construction Technology? A Practical Guide to ConTech
