NTSB Safety Recommendation P-78-042

NTSB safety recommendation P-78-042.

WORK WITH THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION AND THE SOCIETY OF THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY, INC., TO CONDUCT TESTS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF TIME ON THE PULLOUT RESISTANCE OF POLYETHYLENE PLASTIC PIPE AND STANDARD COMPRESSION COUPLINGS.

Priority: CLASS III

Overall Status: Closed--No Longer Applicable

Issued Date: 1978-07-19

Adopted Date: 1978-07-05

Overall Date Closed: 2000-09-28

Synopsis: ON DECEMBER 15, 1977, A 2-INCH PLASTIC GAS MAIN UNDER AN ALLEY IN DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE, KANSAS, PULLED OUT OF A COMPRESSION COUPLING WHICH JOINED IT TO A STEEL GAS MAIN. NATURAL GAS ESCAPED FROM THE MAIN AND MIGRATED THROUGH THE STONE FOUNDATION WALLS OF TWO NEARBY BUILDINGS. THE ACCUMULATIONS OF GAS IN THE TWO BUILDINGS IGNITED. THE RESULTING EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROYED ONE BUILDING, SEVERELY DAMAGED THE OTHER BUILDING, AND BROKE NEARBY WINDOWS. TWO PERSONS WERE KILLED AND THREE PERSONS WERE INJURED.

Ntsbnumber: DCA78MP005

Report Number: PAR-78-04

Addressee Name: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

Addressee Status: Closed--No Longer Applicable

Addressee Date Closed: 2000-09-28

Addressee Acronym: DuPont

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2000-07-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: ON 9/5/78, DUPONT INFORMED THE SAFETY BOARD THAT IT WOULD WORK WITH THESE TWO GROUPS BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDING ADDITIONAL TESTING WHERE NECESSARY. ON THE BASIS OF THIS INFORMATION, P-78-42 REMAINED CLASSIFIED "OPEN--AWAIT RESPONSE." TO DATE THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER RESPONSE TO P-78-42. THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING WHAT ACTION DUPONT HAS TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT THIS RECOMMENDATION.

Addressee Acronym: DuPont

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2000-09-28

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT DU PONT SOLD THE ALDYL PIPE BUSINESS TO UPONOR ALDYL ON 6/13/91. WHILE DU PONT BELIEVES THE ISSUES IN P-78-42 HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, NO RECORDS EXIST TO VERIFY THIS. ACCORDINGLY, BECAUSE DU PONT HAS SOLD THE ALDYL PIPE BUSINESS, P-78-42 IS CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--NO LONGER APPLICABLE."

Addressee Acronym: DuPont

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2000-08-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 08/14/2000 3:41:00 PM MC# 2001061 E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY SOLD THE ALDYL PIPE BUSINESS (THE "BUSINESS") TO UPONOR ALDYL ("UPONOR") ON 6/13/91. WHILST WE BELIEVE THAT THE MATTERS RAISED IN THE SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WERE ADDRESSED SOME TIME AGO, WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANYONE IN THE CURRENT DUPONT ORGANIZATION WITH THE KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO CONFIRM THE SPECIFIES IN THIS REGARD. LIKEWISE, WE ARE UNABLE TO REVIEW OUR FILES IN RELATION TO THE BUSINESS BECAUSE THESE WERE TRANSFERRED TO UPONOR AT THE TIME OF SALE. UPONOR MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION PERTINENT TO THE REFERENCED RECOMMENDATION. WE HAVE FORWARDED A COPY OF YOUR LETTER TO UPONOR'S TECHNOLOGY MANAGER, MR. ROY TIMMER ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT HE MAY BE BEST PLACED TO ADDRESS YOUR INQUIRIES.

Addressee Acronym: DuPont

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1978-09-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: LETTER FROM DUPONT: DUPONT WILL WORK WITH THE TWO GROUPS IDENTIFIED BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDING ADDITIONAL TESTING WHERE NECESSARY. ARTICLES AND PAPER ON THE SUBJECTS OF THE RECOMMENDATION ARE LISTED.

Addressee Acronym: DuPont

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1978-11-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence