NTSB Safety Recommendation P-82-032

NTSB safety recommendation P-82-032.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MISSOURI POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY: IMPLEMENT A PROCEDURE FOR THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF INSPECTION RECORDS TO ASSURE THAT UNSAFE CONDITIONS NOTED BY INSPECTORS ARE PROMPTLY CORRECTED.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1982-09-08

Adopted Date: 1982-08-24

Overall Date Closed: 1995-05-25

Synopsis: ON JANUARY 28, 1982, AT CENTRALIA, MISSOURI, NATURAL GAS AT 47 PSIG ENTERED A LOW PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WHICH NORMALLY OPERATED AT 11 INCHES WATER COLUMN (0.40 PSIG) AFTER A BACKHOE BUCKET SNAGGED, RUPTURED, AND SEPARATED THE 3/4-INCH-DIAMETER STEEL PRESSURE REGULATOR CONTROL LINE AT THE MISSOURI POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY'S DISTRICT REGULATOR STATION NO. 1. THE BACKHOE, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF CENTRALIA, WAS BEING USED TO CLEAN A DITCH LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE PRESSURE REGULATOR STATION. THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS ENTERING CUSTOMER PIPING SYSTEMS IN SOME CASES RESULTED IN HIGH PILOT LIGHT FLAMES WHICH INITIATED FIRES IN BUILDINGS; WHILE IN OTHER CASES, THE PILOT LIGHT FLAMES WERE BLOWN OUT, ALLOWING GAS TO ESCAPE WITHIN THE BUILDINGS. OF THE 167 BUILDINGS AFFECTED BY THE OVER PRESSURE, 12 WERE DESTROYED AND 32 SUSTAINED MODERATE TO HEAVY DAMAGES. FIVE PERSONS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA82MP010

Report Number: PAR-82-03

Addressee Name: Missouri Power and Light Company

Addressee Status: Closed--No Longer Applicable

Addressee Date Closed: 1995-05-25

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1982-10-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: MISSOURI POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY (MPL) LETTER: PRIOR TO RECEIVING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, MPL WAS DEVELOPING ADDITIONAL FORMS AND ANNUAL PROCEDURES WHICH WILL ADDRESS THIS RECOMMENDATION, WITH IMPLEMENTATION EXPECTED VERY SOON.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1995-02-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: UNION ELECTRIC HAS IMPLEMENTED SUCH A PROCEDURE & HAS ANNUALLY COMPLIED WITH IT SINCE THE FALL OF 1982. THE PROCEDURE INCLUDES A REVIEW BY A DIVISON OFFICE SUPERVISOR & A CENTRAL OFFICE SUPERVISOR OF THE CAPACITY OF EACH REGULATOR STATION RELATIVE TO THE RELIEF DEVICE AT THE STATION ALONG WITH A REVIEW OF THE OPERATION OF THE STATION OVER THE PAST YEAR INCLUDING ALL INSPECTION RECORDS.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1983-02-16

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: We are pleased that you had already begun to develop forms and procedures to provide for the systematic review of inspection records before receiving our Safety Recommendation. A notification of the actual implementation along with a sample of the forms used and a description of the procedures would be appreciated. Our file for P-82-32 will be held in an “Open-Acceptable Action” status pending further response.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1995-05-25

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT UNION ELECTRIC IMPLEMENTED AN ANNUAL PROCEDURE IN 1982 FOR THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ALL INSPECTION RECORDS BY A DIVISION OFFICE FIELD SUPERVISOR & A CENTRAL OFFICE SUPERVISOR. WE NOTE THE REVIEWS OF LAST YEAR'S INSPECTION RECORDS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED. BASED ON THIS INFO P-82-32 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."