Meet Jon Foley

For those who may not work directly with your team, how would you describe the purpose of the Damage Prevention Program and why does it matter for utilities across the country?

Our Damage Prevention Programs exists to protect critical underground infrastructure, the people who work around it, and the communities that depend on it. Our purpose is to reduce utility strikes by ensuring that underground utilities are accurately identified, properly documented, and clearly communicated before any excavation or construction activity begins.

This matters for utilities across the country because every strike has serious consequences including delays to essential projects, costly repairs, environmental impacts, and most importantly, risks to public and worker safety. As utility systems expand and demands on our infrastructure grow, strong damage prevention programs help safeguard service reliability, reduce operational and legal risk, and supports the safe progress of construction and maintenance activities nationwide.

Ultimately, we help keep utilities connected, communities safe, and projects moving forward.

What are the most common utility-related risks or challenges you see on projects, and how does the program help teams prevent them?

The most common utility-related risks we see on projects stem from inaccurate or outdated maps and records. This remains the number one issue in our industry and is at the core of many utility strikes, delays, and safety concerns. When teams are working from incorrect information, it increases the likelihood of hitting underground facilities, causing service interruptions, costly repairs, and potential injuries.

Our Damage Prevention Programs directly address this challenge. A major focus of our services is improving the quality of utility mapping and records for our customers. By verifying, updating, and enhancing these records, we give locators and construction teams a far more accurate picture of what’s underground. This reduces uncertainty in the field, supports safer excavation practices, and ultimately leads to fewer damages.

Beyond mapping, our programs provide consistent communication, standardized processes, and proactive risk identification that help teams stay ahead of potential issues. Together, these efforts ensure that utility information is reliable, field crews are informed, and projects can move forward with confidence and significantly reduced risk.

If you could give one piece of advice to every SAM employee working around utilities, what would it be?

Never make assumptions about what’s underground. Always verify, communicate, and follow established safe-digging procedures, even when the situation seems routine. Taking the extra time to confirm utility information protects you, your team, and the communities we serve and it’s one of the most important responsibilities we have when working around utilities.