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Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission

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On May 25, 2018, Governor Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 18-167 into law. This bill included the creation of the Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission (Safety Commission), effective August 8, 2018.

In order to assist in preventing damage to underground facilities, the Safety Commission is charged with the following tasks:

  • Making recommendations regarding:
    • Best practices and training
    • Policies to enhance public safety
    • Policies to improve efficiency and cost savings to the 811 program
  • Reviewing complaints of alleged violations and ordering appropriate remedial action/penalties.

You may contact the Safety Commission using the phone number and email address provided below.

Submitting a complaint to the Safety Commission begins the process toward a complaint hearing occurring.

To submit a formal complaint to the Safety Commission regarding an alleged violation of the law that occurred on or after August 8, 2018, you may complete one of the following:

Damage Form 

If you complete the PDF complaint form and your complaint includes a near-miss or underground facility damage, please also complete the form below to provide as much information as possible about the near-miss/damage.**

Underground Facility Damage Form

**If you are the owner or operator of a damaged underground facility, you are also required to report the damage to Colorado 811 within 90 days after service has been restored per Section 9-1.5-103(7)(b) of the Colorado Excavation Requirements Statute.**

Please note: Safety Commission complaint hearing decisions are limited to determinations as to whether the Excavation Requirements Act (Title 9, Article 1.5, Colorado Revised Statutes) was violated.

The Safety Commission cannot give legal advice and does not make determinations about liability for damages; the Colorado state court system may be the appropriate venue for parties seeking third party resolution of liability for damages.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

In addition to submitting a complaint, you may also pursue alternative dispute resolution through Colorado 811. View the details on the Colorado 811 website using the link below.

Colorado 811 - Alternative Dispute Resolution

Meeting Location

These meetings are now fully remote.

Remote Connection Zoom Information

Video call link: Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 839 3675 5524
Passcode: 804772
Phone number: 719-359-4580

 

NEW Meeting Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

DateTime
Friday, December 14, 2018
Agenda
Meeting Notes		8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Wednesday, March 13, 2019CANCELED
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		1:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Agenda
Meeting Notes		12:00 - 4:00 pm

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Agenda
Meeting Notes

12:00 - 4:00 pm

The Review Committee, which consists of 3-5 Safety Commission members, will schedule meetings to hear complaints regarding alleged violations of the Excavation Requirements statute. These hearings are public meetings, so the dates, times and location are listed below.

To learn about what happens during a hearing, view the Hearing Process chart.  

Hearing Location

Hearings are fully remote until further notice. The remote hearing connection information is included in the hearing agenda.

2023

Dates Times

February 28, 2023

Agenda

 8:00 am

April 27, 2023

Agenda

 10:00 am

May 25, 2023

Agenda

1:00 pm

June 1, 2023

 Agenda 

10:00 am

1:00 pm

June 27, 2023

Agenda

 8:00 am

July 27, 2023

Agenda

10:00 am

1:00 pm

August 2, 2023

Agenda

8:00 am

10;00 am

August 29. 2023

Agenda

8:00 am

10:00 am

September 26, 2023

Agenda

1:00 pm

3:00 pm

October 5, 2023

Agenda

8:00 am

10:00 am

1:00 pm

3:00 pm

2022

Dates Times

February 22, 2022

Agenda

 8:00 am

March 2, 2022

Agenda

 8:00 am

May 3, 2022

Agenda

 8:00 am

July 12, 2022

Agenda

 1:30 pm

August  2, 2022

Agenda

 11:00 am

August 23, 2022

Agenda

 1:30 pm

September 1, 2022

Agenda

 9:30 am

November 3, 2022

Agenda

8:00 am

2021

Dates Times

April 6, 2021

Agenda

9:30 am

April 29, 2021

Agenda

 9:30 am

June 24, 2021

Agenda

9:30 am

August 5, 2021

Agenda

8:00 am

9:30 am

September 7, 2021

Agenda

9:30 am

11:00 am

October 7, 2021

Agenda

9:30 am

11:00 am

2020

Dates Times

February 6, 2020

Agenda

8:00 am

February 27, 2020

Agenda

9:30 am

11:00 am

 

March 5, 2020

Agenda

9:30 am

11:00 am

April 7, 2020

Agenda

11:00 am

1:30 pm

3:00 pm

July 30, 2020

Agenda

 11:00 am

August 6, 2020

Agenda

9:30 am

September 3, 2020

Agenda

11:00 am

1:30 pm

October 1, 2020

Agenda

9:30 am

11:00 am

1:30 pm

December 1, 2020

Agenda

8:00 am

9:30 am

11:00 am

2019

Dates Times
Monday, March 18, 2019
Agenda		 1:00 pm
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Agenda		 1:00 pm
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Agenda		 8:00 am
10:00 am
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Agenda		 10:00 am
1:00 pm
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Agenda		 8:00 am
10:00 am
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Agenda		 10:00 am
1:00 pm
3:00 pm
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Agenda		 10:00 am
2:30 pm
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Agenda		 8:00 am
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Agenda		 1:00 pm
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Agenda		 1:00 pm
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Agenda		 10:00 am
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Agenda		 1:00 pm
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Agenda		 8:00 am
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Agenda		 9:00 am
11:00 am

The Best Practices Subcommittee will schedule meetings to develop best practices for elements of the Excavation Requirements statute. These are public meetings, so the dates, times and location are listed below.

Meeting Location

These meetings are now fully remote.

Remote Connection Information
Video call link: Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 852 2485 4728
Passcode: 480302
Phone number: 719-359-4580

Meeting Time: 10:00 - 11:50 am

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

The following have been appointed by the Governor to serve on the Safety Commission as of January 26, 2023

Safety Commission Member List
Member Member Category Term Expiration
Ted Jensen headshot

Ted Jensen

Vice Chair

 County 1/1/2026
Esther Williams headshot

Esther Williams

 Investor-Owner Utilities 1/1/2024
Lori Warner headshot

Lori Warner

 Pipeline Company 1/1/2024
Patrick Fitzgerald headshot

Patrick Fitzgerald

 Special District 1/1/2024

 

Dana Bijold headshot

Dana Bijold

Chair

 Engineer 1/1/2025
Ray Swerdfeger headshot

Raymond Swerdfeger

Review Committee Coordinator

 Excavator 1/1/2025
Julie McCaleb headshot

Julie McCaleb

 Farming/Ranching 1/1/2025
Terri King headshot

Terri King

 Telecommunications/Broadband 1/1/2025
Rob Martindale headshot

Rob Martindale

 Transportation 1/1/2025
Curt Graham Headshot

Curt Graham

 Rural Electric Cooperative 1/1/2024
Eric Lewin Headshot

Eric Lewin

 Municipality 1/1/2026
Josh Meck Headshot

Josh Meck

 Water Utility 1/1/2026
Laura Lancaster Headshot

Laura Lancaster

 Energy Producer 1/1/2026
Moses Alvarez Headshot
Moses Alvarez		 Contractor 1/1/2026
Annemarie Bluff Excavator Representative 1/1/2026

The Safety Commission encourages applicants who reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of the entire State, including members from both rural and urban parts of the State, and members of diverse political, racial, disability and cultural groups and of diverse sexual orientations and genders.

Applications are now being accepting for the following Safety Commission member categories, as the terms for those currently representing these categories end on January 1, 2024:

  • Investor-owned Utilities
  • Pipeline Companies
  • Rural Electric Cooperatives
  • Special Districts

If you would like to be nominated and apply for one of these positions:

1. Refer to the Excavation Requirements Act to find the appropriate nominating entity to contact.
2. Once nominated, submit the Governor's Boards and Commissions application.

If you have any questions, you may contact us at cdle_safetycommission@state.co.us or 720-582-8224.

Nomination Categories

The Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission includes 15 people from the following categories.

Those selected to serve on the commission will do so for a term of three years.

Nomination Category Nominated by # of Representatives on the Safety Commission
County Colorado Counties, Inc. 1
Municipality Colorado Municipal League 1
Special District Special District Association of Colorado 1
Energy Producer Colorado's Energy Industry 1
Contractor Colorado Contractors Association 1
Excavator Excavator Members of the Notification Association 2
Engineer American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado 1
Investor-Owner Utility Investor-Owner Utilities 1
Rural Electric Cooperative Colorado Rural Electric Association 1
Pipeline Company Colorado Pipeline Association 1
Telecommunications and Broadband Company Colorado Telecommunications and Broadband Industry 1
Water Utility Colorado Water Utility Council 1
Transportation Department of Transportation 1
Farming/Ranching Commissioner of Agriculture 1

To submit a request for the Safety Commission to develop a best practice policy, you may complete one of the following:

Best Practices

Disclaimer: The Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission has established these best practices as required under §9-1.5-104.2, C.R.S. These best practices serve to advise the notification association and other state agencies, the general assembly and local governments on practices to prevent damage to underground utilities, to enhance public safety, to improve efficiency and cost savings to the 811 program and to ensure the highest level of productivity and service for the benefit of both excavators and owners and operators. These best practices are recommendations by the Safety Commission and may change over time. Compliance with these recommendations is not conclusive of compliance with the statutes and regulations and is not binding on the findings or determinations of the Safety Commission or determinations in any other forum.

FAQs

In addition to the FAQs here, additional resources are listed under the Helpful Resources tab at the bottom of the page.

What is a frivolous complaint?

The Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission Regulations define a frivolous complaint as "A complaint filed with the Safety Commission that is entirely without merit and is made with the intention of causing inconvenience, harassment or expense."

The Safety Commission has approved the following training courses for use as general education and for remedial action in complaint hearings:

Does your company have a training course (or two) that the Safety Commission should consider adding to its approved training list? If so, please complete the form linked below.

Underground Damage Prevention Training Course Submission form

Do you have an idea for a training course that would be helpful? If so, please send your idea to us at cdle_safetycommission@state.co.us.

Home Rule counties, cities and counties, municipalities and power authorities may either develop their own damage prevention safety programs that are similar to the Safety Commission or complete a waiver that delegates their damage prevention safety programs to the Safety Commission.

Complete the form linked below to let the Safety Commission know which option your home rule entity has selected.

Home Rule Entity Waiver/Notification of Damage Prevention Safety Program 

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Any information provided to OPS on submitted forms or other communication such as email, phone calls, etc., is available to the public upon request (CORA request, data request, etc.) or is made available to the public (data sets, public databases, social media, webpage notices, etc.)

Please be aware of this and provide company information, rather than personal information, wherever possible.