Gold Shovel Standard (GSS) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving workforce and public safety and the integrity of vital buried infrastructure. GSS believes that greater transparency in all aspects of damage prevention among buried-asset operators, locators and contractors is essential to drive continuous improvement, and vital to ensure increasingly safe working conditions and communities. The Website is www.GoldShovelStandard.org. GSS-certification is a proactive indication of an increased investment in damage-prevention to drive safety, reduce damages, and minimize the risks associated with excavating on or around buried assets. GSS believes that every excavator, owner excavators and contractors alike, must rely upon a robust safety management system, which specifically incorporates damage prevention to increase public and workforce safety.