NTSB Safety Recommendation P-00-024

NTSB safety recommendation P-00-024.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT ALABAMA ONE CALL: PUBLICIZE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE 1/22/99, ACCIDENT IN BRIDGEPORT, AL, AND USE THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ACCIDENT TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF USING THE CENTER'S ONE-CALL NUMBER BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXCAVATION WORK AND OF THE SAFETY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH UNDERGROUND UTILITIES.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 2000-12-15

Adopted Date: 2000-12-07

Overall Date Closed: 2001-06-05

Synopsis: ON 1/22/99, WHILE DIGGING A TRENCH BEHIND A BUILDING AT 406 ALABAMA AVENUE, A BACKHOE OPERATOR DAMAGED A 3/4-INCH STEEL NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE AND A 1-INCH WATER SERVICE LINE, BOTH OF WHICH WERE UNDERGROUND. THIS RESULTED IN TWO LEAKS IN THE NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE, WHICH WAS OPERATED AT 35 PSIG. ONE LEAK OCCURRED WHERE THE BACKHOE BUCKET HAD CONTACTED AND PULLED THE NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE. THE OTHER WAS A PHYSICAL SEPARATION OF THE GAS SERVICE LINE AT AN UNDERGROUND JOINT NEAR THE METER, WHICH WAS CLOSE TO THE BUILDING. GAS MIGRATED INTO THE BUILDING AT 406 ALABAMA AVENUE, WHERE IT IGNITED ABOUT 10:02 A.M. AN EXPLOSION FOLLOWED, DESTROYING THREE BUILDINGS: 404, 406, AND 408 ALABAMA AVENUE. OTHER BUILDINGS WITHIN A TWO-BLOCK AREA OF THE EXPLOSION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED. THREE FATALITIES, FIVE SERIOUS INJURIES, AND ONE MINOR INJURY RESULTED FROM THIS ACCIDENT. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF R&B TO ESTABLISH AND FOLLOW SAFE PROCEDURES FOR EXCAVATION ACTIVITIES, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO A 3/4-INCH GAS SERVICE LINE, AND THE FAILURE OF THE UTILITIES BOARD OF THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT (UTILITIES BOARD) TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO THE RESULTING NATURAL GAS LEAK.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of R&B Construction (R&B) to establish and follow safe procedures for excavation activities, resulting in damage to a 3/4-inch gas service line, and the failure of the Utilities Board of the City of Bridgeport (Utilities Board) to provide appropriate emergency response to the subsequent natural gas leak.

Keywords: Excavation, Training and Education

Ntsbnumber: DCA99MP004

Report Number: PAB-00-01

Addressee Name: State of Alabama, Alabama 811 (Alabama One Call)

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2001-06-05

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2001-03-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 03/29/2001 10:05:37 AM MC# 2010271 Alabama One Call would like to submit the following information: Since the incident in Bridgeport in 1999, Alabama One Call has continued its efforts to educate the excavating public on the need to notify the underground facility owners prior to any excavation and to allow the required amount of time for the facilities to be located prior to the start of the excavation. We have conducted the following education programs since that time: 1999 Public Presentations and Association Meetings 42 Articles or Publication Advertisements Letters to the editors in regional newspapers related to the Bridgeport incident News release focusing on the potential for serious problems if underground lines are cut 2000 Public Presentations and Association Meetings 43 Articles or Publication Advertisements 2001 Employment of fulltime employee for Damage Prevention efforts In our presentation to contractors we have focused on the Bridgeport incident in the following manner: We discuss the various excuses that people use for their actions such as not putting on their seatbelts due to going just a short distance, etc and then we discuss the common excuse we hear for not calling. This excuse is that “I know where everything is”. We then go into the facts of the Bridgeport incident describing how the excavator thought he knew were all the facilities were based on his relationship to the Bridgeport Utilities Department and the resulting events. However, since we often speak to the gas industry directly, we try not to mention any names due to respect for Bridgeport Utilities who is a member of the Alabama One Call center. Alabama One Call will continue and increase our efforts to educate the excavating public in Alabama and to make the one call process as efficient as possible as we have done since our inception in 1975.

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2001-06-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board is pleased to learn that, since the 1999 accident, Alabama One Call has made some 41 presentations to the public and at association meetings, has disseminated some 85 articles or publication advertisements, has written letters to the editors in regional newspapers related to the Bridgeport incident, and has recommended that a full-time employee be hired at companies for damage prevention efforts. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P-00-24 is classified “Closed--Acceptable Action.”