NTSB Safety Recommendation P-00-009

NTSB safety recommendation P-00-009.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION: INFORM YOUR MEMBERSHIP OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE 12/11/98, 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: 2000-12-05

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.

Keywords: Hazmat

Ntsbnumber: DCA99MP001

Report Number: PAR-00-01

Addressee Name: American Public Works Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2000-12-05

Addressee Acronym: APWA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-10-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO YOUR LETTER OF 7/18/00 IN WHICH YOU COMMUNICATED THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF AN ACCIDENT IN ST. CLOUD, MN THAT INVOLVED A CONTRACTOR STRIKING A GAS SERVICE PIPELINE WHILE WORKING IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. APWA SHARES NTSB'S CONCERNS FOR INSURING THE SAFETY OF EXCAVATIONS IN PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY AND ARE PLEASED TO COOPERATE BY COMMUNICATING THE RECOMMENDATIONS (CONTAINED IN YOUR REQUEST P-00-9 AND -10) TO OUR MEMBERS. APWA HAS INFORMED ALL ONE-CALL SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL (OCSI) MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVED IN THE ST. CLOUD INCIDENT AND ASKED THEM TO INCLUDE MENTION OF THIS INCIDENT IN THEIR FUTURE EXCAVATOR AWARENESS PROGRAM MATERIALS. A COPY OF THE LETTER FROM THE CHAIR OF APWA'S ONE-CALL SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL IS ENCLOSED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHAIR OF APWA'S UTILITY AND PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY COMMITTEE HAS SENT A LETTER TO ALMOST 1,800 PUBLIC AGENCIES THAT HAVE AN "AGENCY MEMBERSHIP" IN APWA, REQUESTING THAT THEY INCORPORATE EXCAVATOR AWARENESS MATERIALS INTO THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMITS TO WORK WITHIN PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY. FOR THOSE AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THEIR LOCAL ONE-CALL ORGANIZATION, THIS MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE PROGRAMS ADOPTED BY THEIR ONE-CALL ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE POSTED YOUR LETTER REQUESTING APWA'S ASSISTANCE ON OUR WEB SITE http://www.apwa.net/resourcecenter/ResCent_Disp.asp?Section=row AND HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT APWA MEMBERS CONSIDER INCLUDING EXCAVATION SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAMS. WE ARE WILLING TO PUBLISH AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY YOU, OR A MEMBER OF YOUR STAFF, WHICH SPECIFICALLY PROFILES THE ST. CLOUD INCIDENT. APWA'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE, THE APWA REPORTER, REACHES A READERSHIP OF MORE THAN 26,000 PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. PLEASE CONTACT MR. KEVIN CLARK, EDITOR OF THE APWA REPORTER, TO COORDINATE THE SUBMISSION OF THE ARTICLE. MR. CLARK CAN BE REACHED AT kclark@apwa.net OR VIA TELEPHONE AT 816-472-6100. FURTHER, APWA PROPOSES TO GO BEYOND YOUR REQUESTS BY REVISING OUR RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES RELATED TO EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION BY INCORPORATING CHANGES INTO APWA'S PUBLIC WORKS MANAGEMENT PRACTICE MANUAL, WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN 2001. THE MANUAL CONTAINS RECOMMENDED PRACTICES THAT ARE THE CORNERSTONE FOR OUR VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS OF SELF-ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION FOR PUBLIC WORKS AGENCIES. THE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE MANUAL BY ADDING A NEW MANAGEMENT PRACTICE, 14.7 -"EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION" IN CHAPTER 14 ON RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMITS, AND TO MODIFY AN EXISTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICE, 15.7 -"EXCAVATION CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS" IN CHAPTER 15 ON UTILITY COORDINATION. WORKING DRAFTS OF THESE PRACTICE STATEMENTS ARE ENCLOSED FOR INFORMATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THE NTSB TO HELP IMPROVE PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND ALL INVOLVED WITH EXCAVATIONS IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE ON THIS ISSUE, PLEASE CONTACT DENNIS H. ROSS, P.E., DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AT dross@apwa.net OR VIA TELEPHONE AT 816-472-6100.

Addressee Acronym: APWA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-12-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD IS PLEASED THAT APWA HAS INFORMED ALL ONE-CALL SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL (OCSI) MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVED IN THE ST. CLOUD INCIDENT AND ASKED THEM TO INCLUDE MENTION OF THIS INCIDENT IN THEIR FUTURE EXCAVATOR AWARENESS PROGRAM MATERIALS. THE SAFETY BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT FOR THOSE AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THEIR LOCAL ONE-CALL ORGANIZATION, THIS MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE PROGRAMS ADOPTED BY THEIR ONE-CALL ORGANIZATIONS. THE BOARD FURTHER UNDERSTANDS THAT APWA POSTED THE BOARD'S 7/18/00, LETTER REQUESTING APWA'S ASSISTANCE ON ITS WEB SITE AND THAT APWA HAS RECOMMENDED THAT ITS MEMBERS CONSIDER INCLUDING EXCAVATION SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAMS. ACCORDINGLY, P-00-9 AND -10 ARE CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."