NTSB Safety Recommendation P-00-003

NTSB safety recommendation P-00-003.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA: INFORM YOUR MEMBERSHIP OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DECEMBER 11, 1998, ACCIDENT IN ST. CLOUD, MN, TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE DANGERS OF DAMAGE TO AN UNDERGROUND UTILITY AND THE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 OR OTHER APPROPRIATE LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE NUMBER WHEN A NATURAL GAS LEAK OR OTHER HAZARDOUS CONDITION OCCURS AND TO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY UTILITY COMPANIES WHEN AN UNDERGROUND FACILITY HAS BEEN DAMAGED.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 2000-07-18

Adopted Date: 2000-07-11

Overall Date Closed: 2001-07-23

Synopsis: ABOUT 10:50 A.M. ON 12/11/98, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL A UTILITY POLE SUPPORT ANCHOR IN A CITY SIDEWALK IN ST. CLOUD, MN, A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK INSTALLATION CREW FROM CABLE CONSTRUCTORS, INC., (CCI) STRUCK AND RUPTURED AN UNDERGROUND, 1-INCH-DIAMETER, HIGH-PRESSURE PLASTIC GAS SERVICE PIPELINE, THEREBY PRECIPITATING A NATURAL GAS LEAK. ABOUT 39 MINUTES LATER, WHILE UTILITY WORKERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL WERE TAKING PRELIMINARY PRECAUTIONS AND ASSESSING THE SITUATION, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED. AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLOSION, 4 PERSONS WERE FATALLY INJURED; 1 PERSON WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED; AND 10 PERSONS, INCLUDING 2 FIREFIGHTERS AND 1 POLICE OFFICER, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. SIX BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED. DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS ESTIMATED PROPERTY LOSSES AT $399,000.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the lack of adequate procedures by CCI to prevent damage to nearby utilities when its anchor installation crews encountered unusual conditions such as striking an underground obstacle. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the delay by CCI in notifying the proper authorities.

Ntsbnumber: DCA99MP001

Report Number: PAR-00-01

Addressee Name: Associated General Contractors of America

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2001-07-23

Addressee Acronym: AGC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-07-28

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 08/01/2000 11:52:54 AM MC# 2000980: In the spirit of shared responsibility engendered by the Common Ground study, I can assure you that AGC will do everything in our power to keep our members informed about enhanced excavation safety procedures. In regard to your specific recommendations, AGC will: 1. Publish an article describing the accident and the NSTB recommendations in News & Views, our bi-weekly newsletter, which reaches all 33,000 AGC member companies. 2. Publish a similar article in the next Municipal-Utilities Division newsletter. This is a targeted publication, which reaches those AGC companies that specialize in underground utility work. 3. Publish a notice in Coastruclor, our monthly magazine that also reaches all 33,000 AGC member companies. 4. Issue a Health and Safety Bulletin to our membership outlining the NTSB recommendations. Each of these publications also reach all of the safety directors and staff at our 100 AGC chapters nationwide. Again, thank you for notifying AGC and for your efforts to promote public safety. Please contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Addressee Acronym: AGC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2001-05-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 05/30/2001 6:48:28 PM MC# 2010446 In a letter from AGC CEO Steve Sandherr dated 7/28/00, AGC indicated that the following steps would take place to inform our members of the aforementioned safety recommendations: * Publish an article describing the accident and the NTSB recommendations in News & Views, our bi-weekly newsletter, which reaches all 33,000 AGC member companies. * Publish a similar article in the next Municipal-Utilities Division newsletter. This is a targeted publication, which reaches those AGC companies that specialize in underground utility work. * Publish a notice in Constructor, our monthly magazine that also reaches all 33,000 AGC member companies. I am enclosing copies of the two articles and notice in Constructor magazine for your information and files. To reinforce the importance of these recommendations, a future Health and Safety bulletin will also be going to our chapters paraphrasing the recommendations.

Addressee Acronym: AGC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-08-30

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board is pleased to learn that the AGCA will, in the spirit of shared responsibility engendered by the Common Ground study, do everything in its power to keep its members informed about enhanced excavation safety procedures. Specifically, the AGCA will publish an article describing the accident and the NSTB recommendations in News & Views, its bi-weekly newsletter, which reaches all 33,000 AGCA member companies; it will publish a similar article in the next Municipal-Utilities Division newsletter, which targets those AGCA companies that specialize in underground utility work; it will publish a notice in Constructor monthly magazine that also reaches all 33,000 AGCA member companies; and it will issue a Health and Safety Bulletin to its membership outlining the Safety Board’s recommendations. In addition, each of these publications also reaches all the safety directors and staff at 100 AGCA chapters nationwide. Accordingly, because the AGCA is planning to take action that will satisfy both recommendations, Safety Recommendations P-00-3 and -4 are classified “Open-Acceptable Response,” pending our notification by the AGCA that it has provided this information to its membership. The Safety Board would appreciate receiving copies of these publications when they become available.

Addressee Acronym: AGC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2001-04-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: ON 8/30/00, BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE AGC LETTER OF 7/28/00, P-00-3 AND -4 WERE CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE," PENDING RECEIPT OF FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE AGC. SPECIFICALLY, AGC MENTIONED TWO ARTICLES THAT IT INTENDED TO PUBLISH AND THE BOARD REQUESTED TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN THAT ACTION WAS COMPLETED. TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE ON THESE ISSUES. THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING WHAT FURTHER ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT P-00-3 AND -4.

Addressee Acronym: AGC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2001-07-23

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board is pleased to learn that the AGC has (1) published an article describing the accident and the Board's recommendations in its bi-weekly newsletter News & Views; (2) published a similar article in the next Municipal-Utilities Division newsletter, a targeted publication that reaches AGC companies that specialize in underground utility work; and (3) published a notice in Constructor, the AGC monthly magazine that also reaches all 33,000 AGC member companies. Accordingly, Safety Recommendations P-00-3 and -4 are classified "Closed--Acceptable Action."