# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-82-014 **Citation:** P-82-014 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board **Effective:** 1982-05-13 **Published:** 1982-05-13 THE SAFETY BOARD IS CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A SIMILAR ACCIDENT AS COLUMBIA CONTINUES TO UPRATE ITS PIPE LINES TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASING DEMANDS. THEREFORE, THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION: INSTRUCT THE APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL IN THE APPLICABLE FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND PRESCRIBED COMPANY PROCEDURES IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCIDENTAL IGNITION OF NATURA ## Document text NTSB safety recommendation P-82-014. THE SAFETY BOARD IS CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A SIMILAR ACCIDENT AS COLUMBIA CONTINUES TO UPRATE ITS PIPE LINES TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASING DEMANDS. THEREFORE, THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION: INSTRUCT THE APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL IN THE APPLICABLE FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND PRESCRIBED COMPANY PROCEDURES IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCIDENTAL IGNITION OF NATURAL GAS. Priority: CLASS II Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Issued Date: 1982-05-13 Adopted Date: 1982-04-26 Overall Date Closed: 1988-07-25 Synopsis: ON NOVEMBER 30, 1981, AT FLATWOODS, WEST VIRGINIA, GAS, LEAKING INTO A TEST SECTION OF A 26-INCH-DIAMETER GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINE OWNED AND OPERATED BY COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (COLUMBIA), IGNITED AS A WELDER ENGAGED IN INSTALLING AN END CAP PLACED A TACK WELD ON THE EAST END OF A 180-FOOT-LONG SECTION OF PIPE. THE RESULTANT EXPLOSION BLEW OFF THE EAST END CAP, WHICH STRUCK AND KILLED THE WELDER'S HELPER. Probable Cause: None Ntsbnumber: DCA82FP001 Report Number: None Addressee Name: NiSource, Inc. (formerly Columbia Gas) Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 1988-07-25 Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1982-06-30 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION: COLUMBIA, IN REVIEWING ITS PROCEDURES CONCERNING THE HYDROSTATIC RETEST ING OF PIPELINES, IS CONSIDERING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND, WHERE CHANGES WILL ASSURE GREATER SAFETY, WILL IMPLEMENT SUCH CHANGES INTO OUR PROCEDURES. Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1988-05-25 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: I AM ENCLOSING A COPY OF COLUMBIA'S CURRENT OPERATING POLICY ON "SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR ISOLATION OF GAS HANDLING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND TESTING" (ATTACHMENT 1). THIS POLICY INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS WHICH WE BELIEVE ARE RESPONSIVE TO NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS P-82-13 THROUGH P-82-15. SPECIFICALLY, THE ENTIRE POLICY IS RESPONSIVE TO P-82-13 IN THAT IT DESCRIBES, IN DETAIL, THE PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED FOR REMOVING ANY GAS HANDLING FACILITY FROM SERVICE FOR MAINTENANCE, REPAIR OR TESTING. THESE PROCEDURES INCLUDE STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED BEFORE REMOVING THE FACILITY FROM SERVICE, WHILE THE FACILITY IS OUT OF SERVICE AND WHEN RETURNING THE FACILITY TO SERVICE. RECOMMENDATION P-82-14 IS COVERED BY PROCEDURES IN SECTION III AND IN SECTION V.A. 1, 2, AND 3. RECOMMENDA TION P-82-15 IS ADDRESSED IN SECTION IV.B. COLUMBIA'S POLICY ON "PIPELINE TESTING REQUIREMENTS" ALSO INCLUDES SPECIFIC PROCEDURES RELATED TO CONTRACTORS WHO MAY BE USED TO CONDUCT TESTING ACTIVITIES ON COLUMBIA FACILITIES. THIS POLICY IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING AN EXTENSIVE REVISION TO COMBINE REQUIREMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN OTHER PROCEDURES. A COPY OF THAT PORTION OF THE POLICY RELATED TO CONTRACTORS IS ALSO ENCLOSED (ATTACHMENT 2). WE WISH TO APOLOGIZE FOR OUR FAILURE TO RESPOND TO NTSB IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER. AT THE TIME THE ENCLOSED POLICY WAS PUBLISHED, COLUMBIA WAS UNDERGOING MAJOR REORGANIZATION AND REDUCTION IN WORK FORCE. IN THE RESULTING REALIGNMENT OF PERSONNEL AND RESPONSIBILITIES, THE NEED TO RESPOND WAS OVERLOOKED. WE TRUST THIS RESPONSE WILL ENABLE NTSB TO PLACE THESE SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS IN A "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION" STATUS. Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1982-08-31 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1988-07-25 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1988-04-13 Communication Type: Official Correspondence ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline` - SHA-256: `a7b3add3f7e476154f2eab8984f641e15fa3289576df1866cf145d97b878bc5d` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z - Exported: 2026-08-22T14:37:03.863Z - Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-82-014` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation", "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-82-014", "recommendationMode": "Pipeline", "topicMode": "Pipeline", "ntsbNumber": "DCA82FP001", "priority": "CLASS II", "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA", "overallDateClosed": "1988-07-25", "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15", "reportNumber": "None", "reportUrl": null, "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P82_13_15.pdf", "addressees": [ { "addresseeName": "NiSource, Inc. (formerly Columbia Gas)", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "1988-07-25", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1982-06-30", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION: COLUMBIA, IN REVIEWING ITS PROCEDURES CONCERNING THE HYDROSTATIC RETEST ING OF PIPELINES, IS CONSIDERING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND, WHERE CHANGES WILL ASSURE GREATER SAFETY, WILL IMPLEMENT SUCH CHANGES INTO OUR PROCEDURES." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1988-05-25", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "I AM ENCLOSING A COPY OF COLUMBIA'S CURRENT OPERATING POLICY ON \"SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR ISOLATION OF GAS HANDLING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND TESTING\" (ATTACHMENT 1). THIS POLICY INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS WHICH WE BELIEVE ARE RESPONSIVE TO NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS P-82-13 THROUGH P-82-15. SPECIFICALLY, THE ENTIRE POLICY IS RESPONSIVE TO P-82-13 IN THAT IT DESCRIBES, IN DETAIL, THE PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED FOR REMOVING ANY GAS HANDLING FACILITY FROM SERVICE FOR MAINTENANCE, REPAIR OR TESTING. THESE PROCEDURES INCLUDE STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED BEFORE REMOVING THE FACILITY FROM SERVICE, WHILE THE FACILITY IS OUT OF SERVICE AND WHEN RETURNING THE FACILITY TO SERVICE. RECOMMENDATION P-82-14 IS COVERED BY PROCEDURES IN SECTION III AND IN SECTION V.A. 1, 2, AND 3. RECOMMENDA TION P-82-15 IS ADDRESSED IN SECTION IV.B. COLUMBIA'S POLICY ON \"PIPELINE TESTING REQUIREMENTS\" ALSO INCLUDES SPECIFIC PROCEDURES RELATED TO CONTRACTORS WHO MAY BE USED TO CONDUCT TESTING ACTIVITIES ON COLUMBIA FACILITIES. THIS POLICY IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING AN EXTENSIVE REVISION TO COMBINE REQUIREMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN OTHER PROCEDURES. A COPY OF THAT PORTION OF THE POLICY RELATED TO CONTRACTORS IS ALSO ENCLOSED (ATTACHMENT 2). WE WISH TO APOLOGIZE FOR OUR FAILURE TO RESPOND TO NTSB IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER. AT THE TIME THE ENCLOSED POLICY WAS PUBLISHED, COLUMBIA WAS UNDERGOING MAJOR REORGANIZATION AND REDUCTION IN WORK FORCE. IN THE RESULTING REALIGNMENT OF PERSONNEL AND RESPONSIBILITIES, THE NEED TO RESPOND WAS OVERLOOKED. WE TRUST THIS RESPONSE WILL ENABLE NTSB TO PLACE THESE SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS IN A \"CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION\" STATUS." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1982-08-31", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1988-07-25", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1988-04-13", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" } ] } ], "jurisdiction": "US" } ```