Gaines Tucks New Award Under Safety Belt

Gaines and Company receives the 2023 Dig Smart Award at the
Greater Chesapeake Damage Prevention Training Conference.

For the 3rd time, Miss Utility has awarded Gaines and Company the highly sought after Dig Smart Award for the 2022/2023 award period. This award requires not only a meticulous application, but also evidence of damage prevention efforts, a safe digging history, active participation in the safety and construction community and a clear dedication to upholding industry standards at an exceptionally high level across Maryland and the District of Columbia.

With Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) being the largest electric and natural gas utility in Central Maryland, it’s easy to imagine why managing the 811 protocol requires a prestigious award. With 2,300 square miles of electric and 800 square miles of natural gas lines running throughout central Maryland, this represents only a small representation of what lies underground; it doesn’t include communication cables, water or sewer lines, other utility companies lines or the remainder of Maryland and Washington D.C.

Safety Director Dominic Pope accepts award on behalf of Gaines & Company from Kevin Woolbright, Chairman of the Greater Chesapeake Damage Prevention Committee.

Dominic Pope (CHST), Safety Director at Gaines and Company, emphasizes that “everyone from Field Employees, Foreman, Project Managers and Superintendents played a key role in the winning of this award; this was absolutely a team effort.”

What set Gaines & Co. apart from the rest of the competition? “Gaines and Company received the Maryland Dig Smart Award for demonstrating a commitment to damage prevention that goes above and beyond,” says Kevin Woolbright, Chairman of the MD/DC Damage Prevention Committee. Which is true – each person from the office to the site is committed to making a difference by minimizing damage.

Safety Director Dominic Pope gives acceptance speech

Previously, Gaines & Co. earned the Dig Smart award in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 after first achieving the 2017/2018 Dig Smart Honorable Mention Award for safe digging practices.

811, the national call-before-you-dig number, is a priceless resource known for rigorous excavation protocols that protect valuable buried resources – utilities. It ensures the integrity of utilities by preventing known or unknown damage to underground electric lines, natural gas pipelines, communication cables, water lines and sewer lines. Hitting a buried line can create many problems including disruption, expensive repairs, even injury or death.

Gaines and Company will soon be celebrating 70 years in business as a turn-key site development and management company specializing in underground utilities, grading, excavating, erosion controls and road work.