# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-95-030 **Citation:** P-95-030 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board **Effective:** 1995-05-10 **Published:** 1995-05-10 THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY: DIRECT THE OCCUPTIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH DIVISION TO DEVELOP & IMPLEMENT WRITTEN PROCEDURES FOR GATHERING & EXCHANGING COMPLAINT & PIPELINE STRIKE INFO WITH STATE PIPELINE OPERATORS & THE MINNESOTA OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY & TO USE THAT INFO TO REDUCE EXCAVATION-CAUSED DAMAGE BY TARGETING TRAINING & ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS WHERE THEY ARE MOST NEEDED. ## Document text NTSB safety recommendation P-95-030. THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY: DIRECT THE OCCUPTIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH DIVISION TO DEVELOP & IMPLEMENT WRITTEN PROCEDURES FOR GATHERING & EXCHANGING COMPLAINT & PIPELINE STRIKE INFO WITH STATE PIPELINE OPERATORS & THE MINNESOTA OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY & TO USE THAT INFO TO REDUCE EXCAVATION-CAUSED DAMAGE BY TARGETING TRAINING & ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS WHERE THEY ARE MOST NEEDED. Priority: CLASS II Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Issued Date: 1995-05-10 Adopted Date: 1995-04-18 Overall Date Closed: 1996-03-20 Synopsis: ABOUT 8:30 A.M. ON 7/22/93, A CITY OF ST. PAUL DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS BACKHOE HOOKED & PULLED APART A NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY HIGH-PRESSURE GAS SERVICE LINE. THE 1-INCH PLASTIC LINE PULLED APART APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET FROM WHERE THE BACKHOE HOOKED THE LINE & JUST OUTSIDE AN ELBOW THAT WAS WITHIN 1 FOOT OF THE STONE FOUNDATION WALL OF A BUILDING. A SIDEWALK EXTENDED FROM THE STREET TO THE FOUNDATION WALL & HINDERED THE GAS FROM RISING. HOWEVER, THE FOUNDATION WALL HAD MANY HOLES & LOOSE, PERMEABLE MORTAR, ENABLING NATURAL GAS TO FLOW QUICKLY INTO THE BUILDING, WHICH CONTAINED THREE GROUND-FLOOR BUSINESSES & EIGHT UPSTAIR RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS. AN EXPLOSION & NATURAL GAS-FUELED FIRE RESULTED ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER THE BACKHOE HOOKED THE SERVICE LINE. THE EXPLOSION FORCE CAUSED PART OF THE BUILDING TO LAND ON & FLATTEN AN AUTOMOBILE TRAVELING SOUTHWEST ON EAST THIRD STREET, & THE DRIVER DIED INSTANTLY. THE EXPLOSION & ENSUING FIRE ALSO KILLED AN APARTMENT OCCUPANT & A PERSON OUTSIDE THE BUILDING & INJURED 12 PEOPLE. Probable Cause: None Keywords: Excavation, Records, Training and Education Ntsbnumber: DCA93MP011 Report Number: None Addressee Name: State of Minnesota, Department of Labor and Industry Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 1996-03-20 Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government Communication Date: 1995-11-22 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: THE MINNESOTA OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY (MNOPS) & THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH DIVISION OF THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY (MNOSHA) MET ON 6/5/95 TO IMPLEMENT THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS. AT THE MEETING, MNOPS & MNOSHA DESCRIBED THEIR JURISDICTIONAL LIMITS, HOW THEY BECOME AWARE OF A PIPELINE STRIKE & HOW THAT INFO MIGHT BE SHARE. AT THE MEETING, MNOPS & MNOSHA AGREED TO: 1. CHANGE THEIR WRITTEN PROCEDURES TO INCLUDE INFO THAT WILL ALLOW BOTH MNOPS & MNOSHA TO IDENTIFY UNSAFE EXCAVATION OPERATIONS. 2. CHANGE THEIR WRITTEN PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT BOTH ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOTIFIED OF POTENTIAL EXCAVATION VIOLATIONS. 3. SHARE SPEAKERS & EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. AS OF THIS 11/22/95 RESPONSE, MNOPS & MNOSHA SUBMITTED DOCUMENTATION THAT THE AGREEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED. Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government Communication Date: 1996-03-20 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: FURTHER, THE MNOPS & THE MNOSHA ARE SHARING & PLAN TO CONTINUE SHARING SPEAKERS & EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR. BECAUSE THE BOARD BELIEVES THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MNOPS & MNOSHA REPRESENTATIVES & ADMINISTRATORS WILL REDUCE EXCAVATION-CAUSED DAMAGE, P-95-29 & -30 HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION." ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline` - SHA-256: `116cf18afb75a348e20129d271fd44db16fb514a7fce0ac04393f8c87a7b41b5` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z - Exported: 2026-08-23T14:48:38.408Z - Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-95-030` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation", "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-95-030", "recommendationMode": "Pipeline", "topicMode": "Pipeline", "ntsbNumber": "DCA93MP011", "priority": "CLASS II", "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA", "overallDateClosed": "1996-03-20", "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15", "reportNumber": "None", "reportUrl": null, "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P95_30.pdf", "addressees": [ { "addresseeName": "State of Minnesota, Department of Labor and Industry", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "1996-03-20", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "S-State Government", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1995-11-22", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "THE MINNESOTA OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY (MNOPS) & THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH DIVISION OF THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY (MNOSHA) MET ON 6/5/95 TO IMPLEMENT THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS. AT THE MEETING, MNOPS & MNOSHA DESCRIBED THEIR JURISDICTIONAL LIMITS, HOW THEY BECOME AWARE OF A PIPELINE STRIKE & HOW THAT INFO MIGHT BE SHARE. AT THE MEETING, MNOPS & MNOSHA AGREED TO: 1. CHANGE THEIR WRITTEN PROCEDURES TO INCLUDE INFO THAT WILL ALLOW BOTH MNOPS & MNOSHA TO IDENTIFY UNSAFE EXCAVATION OPERATIONS. 2. CHANGE THEIR WRITTEN PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT BOTH ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOTIFIED OF POTENTIAL EXCAVATION VIOLATIONS. 3. SHARE SPEAKERS & EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. AS OF THIS 11/22/95 RESPONSE, MNOPS & MNOSHA SUBMITTED DOCUMENTATION THAT THE AGREEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "S-State Government", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1996-03-20", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "FURTHER, THE MNOPS & THE MNOSHA ARE SHARING & PLAN TO CONTINUE SHARING SPEAKERS & EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR. BECAUSE THE BOARD BELIEVES THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MNOPS & MNOSHA REPRESENTATIVES & ADMINISTRATORS WILL REDUCE EXCAVATION-CAUSED DAMAGE, P-95-29 & -30 HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED \"CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION.\"" } ] } ], "jurisdiction": "US" } ```