NTSB Safety Recommendation P-00-012

NTSB safety recommendation P-00-012.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE NATIONAL CABLE TELEVISION ASSOCIATION: ADVISE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO REVIEW AND REVISE THEIR ANCHOR INSTALLATION PROCEDURES AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT SAFETY MARGINS AROUND BURIED UTILITIES ARE ABSOLUTELY OBSERVED NOT ONLY ABOVE GROUND BUT THROUGHOUT THE INSTALLATION PROCESS.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 2000-07-18

Adopted Date: 2000-07-11

Overall Date Closed: 2000-09-21

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: National Cable Television Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2000-09-21

Addressee Acronym: NCTA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-08-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 08/09/2000 8:00:59 AM MC# 2001019 THIS LETTER RESPONDS TO YOUR RECOMMENDATION LETTER OF 7/18/00. IN THAT LETTER, YOU ASK THE NATIONAL CABLE TELEVISION ASSOCIATION (NCTA) TO "PUBLICIZE THE CIRCUMSTANCES" TO OUR MEMBERSHIP OF A FATAL ACCIDENT FOLLOWING A NATURAL GAS LEAK IN ST. CLOUD, MN, ON 12/11/98. THE PURPOSE OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO MAKE OUR MEMBERSHIP "..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." WHILE THE COMPANY INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT, SEREN INNOVATIONS, INC., IS NOT A MEMBER OF OUR ORGANIZATION, NCTA IS, OF COURSE, FULLY COMMITTED TO ASSISTING OUR MEMBERS IN MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION. IN RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST, I HAVE INCLUDED A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT AND A VERBATIM RECOUNTING OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE 7/21/00, WEEKLY REPORT I SEND TO ALL OUR MEMBERS. THE WEEKLY REPORT IN WHICH THE RECOMMENDATION WAS INCLUDED GOES TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TO THE HEADS OF EACH MEMBER COMPANY, TO THE HEADS OF STATE CABLE ASSOCIATIONS AND TO OTHER INDUSTRY LEADERS. WE HAVE ALSO SENT A DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT AND A COPY OF YOUR SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICERS OF THE CABLE INDUSTRY'S LARGEST SYSTEM OPERATORS. I BELIEVE THAT BY DESCRIBING THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ACCIDENT AND BY INCLUDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT TO MEMBERS, WE HAVE TAKEN EFFECTIVE STEPS TO IMPLEMENT THE NSTB'S RECOMMENDATIONS. NCTA IS THE PRINCIPAL TRADE ASSOCIATION OF THE CABLE TELEVISION INDUSTRY. WE REPRESENT CABLE OPERATORS, PROGRAMMERS AND EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. OUR CABLE OPERATOR MEMBERS SERVE MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF THE NATION'S OVER 65 MILLION RESIDENTIAL CABLE SUBSCRIBERS. WHILE WE DO NOT REPRESENT ALL CABLE OPERATORS, THE BREADTH OF OUR MEMBERSHIP SHOULD ENSURE WIDE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WITHIN THE CABLE INDUSTRY. I TRUST THAT THE STEPS TAKEN BY NCTA EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT THE SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS.

Addressee Acronym: NCTA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-09-21

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD IS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT THE NCTA INCLUDED A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT AND A VERBATIM RECOUNTING OF THE RECOMMENDATION IN ITS 7/21/00, WEEKLY REPORT, WHICH IS SENT TO ALL MEMBERS. THE BOARD FURTHER UNDERSTANDS THAT NCTA SENT A DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT AND A COPY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICERS OF THE CABLE INDUSTRY'S LARGEST SYSTEM OPERATORS. ACCORDINGLY, BECAUSE NCTA HAS TAKEN ACTION TO DISSEMINATE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO A VERY LARGE AUDIENCE AS REQUESTED, P-00-11 AND -12 ARE CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."