NTSB Safety Recommendation P-74-022

NTSB safety recommendation P-74-022.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MISSOURI PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY: INSTALL TELEMETERING EQUIPMENT AT THE CLINTON AND OTHER TOWN BORDER STATIONS, SO THAT SYSTEM FAILURES CAN BE PROMPTLY DETECTED.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1974-03-11

Adopted Date: 1974-02-27

Overall Date Closed: 1996-06-13

Synopsis: A gas explosion and fire occurred on December 9, 1972, in downtown Clinton, MO. Gas had leaked into a building from a cracked cast-iron main located behind the building. Missouri Public Service Company personnel arrived at the site of the reported leak 50 minutes before the explosion. Eight persons died, and seven others were injured.

Ntsbnumber: PLD73XR004

Report Number: PAR-74-03

Addressee Name: Missouri Public Service Company

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1996-06-13

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1975-02-25

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: LETTER FROM MISSOURI PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY: THE COMPANY IS PRESENTLY INVESTIGATING, ALONG WITH OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY, THE FEASIBILITY OF INSTALLING TELEMETERING EQUIPMENT AT TOWN BORDER STATIONS. TO DATE IT HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED WHETHER SUCH ACTION ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY WOULD CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1985-07-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: MISSOURI PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY LTR: INSTALLATION OF TELEMETERING AT A TOWN BORDER STATION COULD NOT BE COUNTED ON TO INDICATE THAT ALL SYSTEM FAILURES WOULD BE DETECTED. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE FAILURE MAY OR MAY NOT BE DISTINGUISHED FROM A CHANGE IN CUSTOMER USAGE. IT WOULD NOT INDICATE WHETHER THE SYSTEM HAD A FAILURE OR WHETHER A CUSTOMER (COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL) HAD A FAILURE. THE COMPANY'S EXPERIENCE TO DATE INDICATES THAT ONLY MAJOR SYSTEM FAILURES PROVIDE INDICATION ON TOWN BORDER STATION CHARTS, BUT MINOR PROBLEMS, WHICH ARE MORE NUMEROUS, DO NOT. IN EITHER CASE, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MUST BE PROVIDED TO ALLOW THE COMPANY TO ACT. THE COMPANY IS CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1988-10-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: EQUIPMENT IS ON ORDER AND WILL BE INSTALLED THIS FALL TO REMOTELY MONITOR AND CONTROL THE SEDALIA TOWN BORDER STATION. THE OUTPUT FROM THE MONITOR DEVICES WILL BE FED INTO A PERSONAL COMPUTER, ONE THAT OUTPUTS AN ALARM TO INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE. ONLY RECENTLY HAS EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE, WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD, BECOME AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF MONITORING. THIS TBS WAS SELECTED BECAUSE THE REGULATOR IS PRESENTLY OPERATED MANUALLY TO ADJUST THE GAS PRESSURE. IF THIS PILOT PROGRAM PROVES SUCCESSFUL WE PLAN ON INSTALLING SIMILAR EQUIPMENT AT CLINTON IN 1989 AND AT OTHER TOWN BORDER STATIONS IN FOUR YEARS. WE ARE STILL GREATLY CONCERNED AS TO THE CAPABILITY OF THIS TYPE OF AN ARRANGEMENT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A SYSTEM FAILURE AND A SUDDEN CUSTOMER OR CUSTOMERS' CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF GAS USED.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1996-03-11

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: IN 1991 MPS INSTALLED TELEMETERING WITH ALARMS, AT THE CLINTON TOWN BORDER STATION AS WELL AS 5 OTHER BORDER STATIONS IN MPS'S SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, MPS HAS INSTALLED PRESSURE MONITORING INSTRUMENTS & DEVICES WHICH WE BELIEVE IS A BETTER INDICATOR TO SYSTEM FAILURE. THESE WERE INSTALLED AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS INCLUDING THE CLINTON TOWN BORDER STATION.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1996-06-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD IS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT THE MPS HAS INSTALLED TELEMETERING EQUIPMENT AT THE CLINTON & OTHER TOWN BORDER STATIONS & THAT IT ALSO HAS INSTALLED PRESSSURE MONITORING INSTRUMENTS & OTHER DEVICES AT VARIOUS STATION LOCATIONS TO ALERT OF A SYSTEM FAILURE. BASED ON THIS INFO P-74-22 HAS BEEN CLASSIFED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1985-06-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1985-11-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1988-09-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1988-11-03

Communication Type: Official Correspondence