NTSB Safety Recommendation P-82-011

NTSB safety recommendation P-82-011.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS COUNCIL, AND THE CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION INSTITUTE: ADVISE ITS MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS ACCIDENT AND RECOMMEND THAT THEY CONFIRM THE ADEQUACY OF THEIR DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS IN PROVIDING ADEQUATE CLEARANCE FOR AFFECTED UTILITIES THROUGH CONSULTATION WITH THE UTILITY OPERATORS, AND THAT THEY NOTE ON THEIR DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS THAT AFFECTED UTILITIES ARE TO BE NOTIFIED AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF ACTUAL EXCAVATION, USING THE ONE-CALL SYSTEM WHERE AVAILABLE.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1982-04-16

Adopted Date: 1982-02-25

Overall Date Closed: 1983-02-02

Synopsis: ON AUGUST 25, 1981, IN DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A 16-INCH NATURAL GAS MAIN OWNED BY THE PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY (PG & E) WAS PUNCTURED BY A DRILL THAT AN EXCAVATION CONTRACTOR WAS USING TO SET TIEBACKS FOR ANCHORING HIS EXCAVATION SHORING. ESCAPING NATURAL GAS BLEW UPWARD AND CARRIED INTO THE EMBARCADERO COMPLEX AND OTHER NEARBY BUILDINGS. THERE WAS NO IGNITION; HOWEVER, THE GAS STREAM ENTRAINED AN OIL CONTAINING POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL (PCB). FALL-OUT AFFECTED AN EIGHT-SQUARE-BLOCK AREA OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL DISTRICT COVERING BUILDINGS, CARS, TREES, PEDESTRIANS, POLICE, AND FIREMEN. APPROXIMATELY 30,000 PERSONS WERE SAFELY EVACUATED FROM THE AREA IN 45 MINUTES. NO ONE WAS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED, ALTHOUGH MANY PERSONS WERE SPRAYED WITH THE PCB OIL MIST.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA81MP020

Report Number: PAR-82-01

Addressee Name: American Council of Engineering Companies

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1982-12-30

Addressee Acronym: ACEC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-05-27

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: -From Larry N. Spiller, Executive Vice President, American Consulting Engineers Council: The recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding notification to contractors as to information on underground pipes--recommendation P-82-11--was discussed by the American Consulting Engineers Council Executive Committee at the Council's Annual Meeting earlier this month in Philadelphia. The Committee asked me to express appreciation to you and to the NTSB for bringing this matter to our attention and to advise you that we have referred the recommendation to our Public Safety Committee for its concurrence. The fact is that all who have seen recommendation P-82-11 agree with its intent, and I feel certain we will soon carry it in the ACEC "NEWSLINE", a publication distributed to approximately 7500 individual consulting engineers nationwide. As soon as the safety recommendation is published, I will send you a copy. The American Consulting Engineers Council appreciates the opportunity to assist and support recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board and looks forward to further opportunity for cooperation on matters of mutual interest in the advancement of safety for construction workers, as well as the general public.

Addressee Acronym: ACEC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-10-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: -From Larry N. Spiller, Executive Vice President, American Consulting Engineers Council: This is a somewhat belated response to the NTSB letter of April 16, 1982 regarding Safety Recommendation P-82-11. Specifically, that communication dealt with puncture, by an excavation contractor, of a 16-inch Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) natural gas main in downtown San Francisco. Escaping gas and oil containing PCB affected an eight-square·-block area. Both the American Consulting Engineers Council Public Safety Committee and our Executive Committee reviewed the information contained in the NTSB letter regarding this matter and we are pleased to comply with your request that we advise our member companies: (1) of the circumstances of the August 25, 1981 accident, and (2) of the NTSB recommendation that increased attention be given to confirming adequacy of design specifications in assuring adequate clearance for affected utilities, and (3) that such specifications direct that affected utilities be notified at least 48 hours in advance of an actual excavation in a particular area, using the one-call system where available or feasible. An article to this effect appears in the October issue of Newsline, a bi-monthly publication distributed to approximately 7,500 principals and officers of ACEC member firms, as well as to selected public agencies, other associations and construction industry publications. Two copies of that publication accompany this letter. The American Consulting Engineers Council appreciates this opportunity to be of service to the National Transportation Safety Board. Having developed an effective procedure for addressing, reviewing and implementing requests such as that which stimulated P-82-11, we look forward to future occasions when we might be of further assistance to your office. Thank you.

Addressee Acronym: ACEC

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-12-30

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The article on page 9 of your Council's October 1982 Newsline describing the San Francisco accident and the Board's recommendation is considered acceptable action. We have placed P-82-11 in a "Closed-Acceptable Action" status for the ACEC. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.

Addressee Name: American Society of Civil Engineers

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2023-07-24

Addressee Acronym: ASCE

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-04-22

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: -From Donald A. Buzzell, Assistant Executive Director: This will acknowledge the April 16 report which you have submitted to ASCE, ACEC and CSI. The report illustrates a concern which should be addressed by the profession and by the construction industry. I am forwarding copies to the Editor of Civil Engineering magazine and ASCE News, suggesting appropriate publicizing. Copies also were sent to our Professional and Technical activities staff for referral to our Standards of Practice and appropriate Technical committee(s) for response. We hope that this will serve to inform our members and to develop constructive recommendations of a continuing nature. If you have not already done so, distribution of the report might also be desirable to the National Society of Professional Engineers, American Road and Transportation Builders' Association, Associated General Contractors of America, and National Utilities Contractors' Association. Thank you for advising us of this.

Addressee Acronym: ASCE

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2023-07-24

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The ASCE’s publication of its Standard Guideline for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data satisfies the intent of this recommendation. The Board voted to classify P-82-11 to the ASCE Closed—Acceptable Action on July 24, 2023. See notation 70045.

Addressee Acronym: ASCE

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1982-06-21

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: We have reviewed your April 22, 1982, letter in · response to the National Transportation Safety Board's Safety Recommendation P-82-11 which resulted from our investigation of the natural gas leak in San Francisco, California, on August 25, 1981. Your actions aimed at having the information in our, letter of recommendation published in both the "Civil Engineering" magazine and the "ASCE News" and the move to obtain a response from the Professional and Technical activities staff of the Society are appreciated. We will hold Safety Recommendation P-82-11 in an "Open—Acceptable Action" status pending publication of the material: · Information as to any actions proposed or taken by the appropriate technical committees of the American Society of Civil Engineers would be welcomed. ' Your suggestions for further distribution of the Board's report on this accident have been acted upon. Thank you for your prompt reply and for your concern for pipeline transportation safety.

Addressee Name: Construction Specifications Institute

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1983-02-02

Addressee Acronym: CSI

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1982-06-23

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: We have reviewed your May 3, 1982, letter in response to the National Transportation Safety Board's Safety Recommendation P-82-11 which resulted from our investigation of the natural gas explosion in San Francisco, California, on August 25, 1981. Your recommendations that the content of the Board's letter of recommendation be published in The Construction Specifications Institute newsletter and that the safety recommendation be placed on the next meeting agenda of the Engineering Joint Contract Documents Committee for consideration and assessment are appreciated. We will hold Safety Recommendation P-82-11 in an "Open-Acceptable Action" status pending notification of the publication in the newsletter. Information as to the actions taken by the Contract Documents Committee would be welcomed. Thank you for your prompt reply to our safety recommendation and for your concern for pipeline transportation safety.

Addressee Acronym: CSI

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1983-02-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: We have noted an article that appeared on pages 2 and 3 of the Construction Specification Institute's (CSI) August 1982 "CSI Newsdigest" which is directly related to the National Transportation Safety Board's Safety Recommendation P-82-11 which was issued as a result of our investigation of the natural gas leak in San Francisco, California, on August 25, 1981. This recommendation asked the CSI to: P-82-11 Advise its members of the circumstances of this accident and recommend that they confirm the adequacy of their design specifications in providing adequate clearance for affected utilities through consultation with the utility operators, and that they note on their design specifications and drawings that affected utilities are to be notified at least 48 hours in advance of actual excavation, using the one-call system where available. The Safety Board is pleased to accept this published article as fulfillment of the intent of P-82-11, and we have placed this Safety Recommendation in a "Closed Acceptable Action" status for the CSI. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.

Addressee Acronym: CSI

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1982-05-03

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: -From Walter F. Geisinger, Administrator, Technical & Education Programs: Thank you for bringing your Safety Recommendation P-82-11, dated April 16, 1982 to our attention. I am recommending that the content of your report and recommendation be published in our CSI Newsletter. The Newsletter is distributed to each of CSI's 16,000 members. I am also recommending that the NTSB Safety Recommendation be placed on the next meeting agenda of the Engineering .Joint Contract Documents Committee for consideration and assessment of its impact on the standard engineering documents currently under development.

Addressee Acronym: CSI

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1982-08-01

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Response was an article in August 1982 CSI news digest. The printed article includes an in-depth review of the accident.