NTSB Safety Recommendation P-74-044

NTSB safety recommendation P-74-044.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION: GIVE CONSIDERATION TO MEASURING THE ODORANT LEVEL OF GAS ESCAPING FROM UNDERGROUND LEAKS IN ITS PLANNED RESEARCH ON ODORANT MONITORING.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1974-10-24

Adopted Date: 1974-10-24

Overall Date Closed: 1983-03-31

Synopsis: ON JUNE 23, 1973, A SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS, FOLLOWED BY FIRE, OCCURRED AT 12321 WELLING LANE IN BOWIE, MARYLAND. THREE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOUSE WERE KILLED, AND A FOURTH WAS INJURED; THE HOUSE WAS BADLY DAMAGED. HOUSES IN A FIVE-BLOCK AREA WERE EVACUATED.

Ntsbnumber: PLD73XR006

Report Number: PAR-74-05

Addressee Name: American Gas Association

Addressee Status: Closed--No Longer Applicable

Addressee Date Closed: 1983-03-31

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1975-03-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION ON 3/31/75: ON MARCH 19, 1975, THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION (AGA) AUTHORIZED $170,000 FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF A THREE YEAR STUDY OF THE PROBLEM OF GAS ODORIZATION.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1979-11-16

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: AGA LTR: SAFETY RECOMMENDATION BEING ADDRESSED IN GAS RESEARCH INSTITUTE RESEARCH PROGRAM.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1983-01-26

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: AN ASSESSMENT OF GAS INDUSTRY ODORIZATION PRACTICES INDICATED THAT THERE WERE THREE AREAS WHERE RESEARCH MONEY COULD BE BETTER ALLOCATED THAN DEVELOPING A "PERFECT" ODORANT OR SELECTING A NON-ADSORBENT BACKFILL MATERIAL (NTSB RECOMMENDATION NO. P-74-46). THESE ARE: (1) DETERMINATION OF THE "APPROPRIATE" LEVEL FOR ODORIZATION. THE D.O.T. ODORIZATION STANDARD IS VAGUE AND THE INDUSTRY PRACTICE VARIES FROM ONE UTILITY TO ANOTHER. THERE IS ALSO A NEED TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF OLFACTORY FATIGUE AND THE MASKING OF GAS ODORANTS BY OTHER ODORS; (2) DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED ODORANT CONCENTRATION MEASURING INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE RUGGED, ACCURATE, INEXPENSIVE, SIMPLE TO OPERATE AND WHICH ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON THE HUMAN OLFACTORY SENSE; (3) DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL ODORANT INJECTION EQUIPMENT THAT ARE RELIABLE AND REQUIRE LITTLE MAINTENANCE. GRI HAS EMBARKED UPON A MAJOR RESEARCH PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE FIRST TWO OF THESE AREAS BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THEY HAD THE GREATEST PRIORITY. WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO COMPLETION OF THE FIRST STUDY. THREE DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR ODORANT INSTRUMENT DESIGN ARE BEING ADDRESSED IN THE SECOND AREA. ALL THE APPROACHES BEING CONSIDERED ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON THE HUMAN OLFACTORY SENSE--A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE FIELD INSTRUMENTS USED TODAY. WE BELIEVE THAT THESE STUDIES ARE FULLY RESPONSIVE TO NTSB RECOMMENDATION P-74-44. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL ODORANT INJECTION DEVICE WILL BE INITIATED IN 1984.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1980-02-14

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1979-01-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1979-10-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1983-03-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence