NTSB Safety Recommendation P-84-006

NTSB safety recommendation P-84-006.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE: ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST OPERATORS OF UNDERGROUND FACILITIES IN THE ANCHORAGE AREA TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A ONE-CALL EXCAVATION NOTIFICATION AND DAMAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1984-03-05

Adopted Date: 1984-03-05

Overall Date Closed: 1988-12-14

Synopsis: ON OCTOBER 7, 1982, A CONTRACTOR PUNCTURED THE ENSTAR NATURAL GAS COMPANY'S (GAS COMPANY) 5/8-INCH DIAMETER PLASTIC GAS SERVICE LINE TO A HOUSE AT 8520 EAST 17TH AVENUE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA; THE CONTRACTOR HAD BEEN AUGERING HOLES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF PILING AROUND THE HOUSE. NATURAL GAS ESCAPING FROM THE RUPTURED SERVICE LINE AT 50 PSIG MIGRATED UNDERGROUND, ENTERED THE HOUSE, ACCUMULATED, AND IGNITED. ON JULY 20, 1982, SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT, AN ENGINEERING COMPANY HAD REQUESTED THE GAS COMPANY TO MARK THE LOCATION OF ITS GAS SERVICE LINE TO THE HOUSE ON EAST 17TH AVENUE. HOWEVER, A DIFFERENT CONTRACTOR WAS ENGAGED FOR THE WORK ON OCTOBER 7 AND THIS CONTRACTOR HAD NEITHER REQUESTED THE GAS COMPANY TO LOCATE ITS SERVICE LINE NOR GIVEN THE GAS COMPANY ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE EXCAVATION WORK. EIGHT MONTHS LATER, ON JUNE 15, 1983, ANOTHER ACCIDENT OCCURRED THIS TIME INVOLVING THE GAS COMPANY'S 12-INCH DIAMETER, HIGH-PRESSURE GAS PIPELINE. THE GAS COMPANY SERVES ABOUT 50,000 CUSTOMERS IN THE ANCHORAGE AREA AND RECEIVES ABOUT 1,100 REQUESTS FROM CONTRACTORS EACH MONTH TO LOCATE ITS GAS LINES. IN SPITE OF THIS EXTENSIVE LINE LOCATION ACTIVITY, NATURAL GAS PIPELINES IN THE ANCHORAGE AREA WERE STRUCK 410 TIMES IN THE COURSE OF EXCAVATION OPERATIONS IN THE 6-MONTH PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 1983, ACCORDING TO THE GAS COMPANY STATISTICS.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA83FP002

Report Number: None

Addressee Name: State of Alaska, City of Anchorage

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1988-12-14

Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government

Communication Date: 1988-07-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: SINCE YOUR ORIGINAL INQUIRY IN 1984, ANCHORAGE, AND ALASKA, HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN IMPROVING PIPELINE/UTILITY SAFETY. THE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN SPEARHEADED BY THE ANCHORAGE AREA UTILITY ASSOCIATION IN WHICH THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE IS A STRONG PARTICIPATOR, AS ARE THE LOCAL PIPELINE COMPANIES. THE ANCHORAGE AREA UTILITY ASSOCIATION NOW HAS 18 MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SMALL WATER COMPANIES, ALL ANCHORAGE UTILITIES PARTICIPATE. THEY MEET MONTHLY AT THE ENSTAR HEADQUARTERS. A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION, THE ALASKA UTILITY COORDINATING COUNCIL WAS FORMED IN 1986 ALTHOUGH IT EXISTED INFORMALLY SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO THAT. IT MEETS THREE TIMES A YEAR, HAS AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN MARCH, AND PUTS OUT A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER. ONE CALL OR OTHER ASPECTS OF LOCATE SAFETY/ADVERTISING HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE WORKSHOPS. THE ONE-CALL COMMITTEE OF THE ANCHORAGE AREA UTILITY ASSOCIATION REVISED THE ANCHORAGE LOCATE ORDINANCE IN 1985 (SEE ATTACHED). THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS TO REQUIRE A 24-HOUR NOTIFICATION PERIOD RATHER THAN THE PREVIOUS FOUR-HOUR REQUIREMENT. THIS WAS DONE SO A ONE-CALL CENTER COULD BECOME A REALITY. IN 1986, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED DIG SAFE WAS FORMED TO ESTABLISH A ONE-CALL AND ONE-STOP LOCATING CENTER BY FIVE OF THE MAJOR UTILITIES AND TWO OF THE SMALLER UTILITIES. REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS WERE ISSUED FOR DIG SAFE THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. THE OTHER MAJOR UTILITIES IN THE AREA ADOPTED A WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE. IN 1987, THE CONTRACT FOR A ONE-CALL CENTER AND A CONTRACT LOCATING SERVICE WAS ISSUED TO ASPLUNDH TREE EXPERT COMPANY, ONE OF THE MAJOR ONE-CALL VENDORS IN THE UNITED STATES. ASPLUNDH HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN ANCHORAGE FOR TEN YEARS AS A BUSINESS FOR TREE TRIMMING. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THE PRIMARY MEMBERS, CHUGACH ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, WITHDREW FROM DIG SAFE BECAUSE OF LABOR PROBLEMS. THIS INCREASED THE FINANCIAL BURDEN SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE OTHER MAJOR MEMBER UTILITIES: ENSTAR NATURAL GAS, ANCHORAGE TELEPHONE UTILITY, SONIC CABLE TELEVISION, AND MUNICIPAL LIGHT AND POWER. BUTLER AVIATION PIPELINE AND TESORO ALASKA PIPELINE ARE ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE FIRST TIME ONE CONTRACTOR WAS RUNNING BOTH A ONE-CALL CENTER AND A CONTRACT LOCATING SERVICE IN THE NATION, THINGS RAN AMAZINGLY WELL AND THE SERVICES WERE WELL RECEIVED BY THE PUBLIC. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UTOPIA EXCEPT THAT ASPLUNDH WAS LOSING MONEY AND THE UTILITIES, IN TIME OF ECONOMIC RECESSION, WERE UNABLE TO PAY MORE. THE UNFORESEEN FACTORS THAT CAUSED THE ECONOMIC CRUNCH WERE THE DROPPING OUT OF CHUGACH ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION AS A MEMBER, LIMITED PARTICIPATION BY SOME UTILITIES IN THE CONTRACT LOCATING DUE TO LABOR CONSIDERATIONS, AND THE POOR STATE OF THE ANCHORAGE ECONOMY CAUSED BY THE DROP IN OIL PRICES. THE THREE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH ASPLUNDH WAS DISSOLVED AFTER THE FIRST YEAR AND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR A REDUCED SCOPE OF WORK WAS AGAIN ISSUED FOR DIG SAFE BY THE MUNICIPAL PURCHASING DEPARTMENT FOR SERVICES IN 1988. THE TWO PROPOSALS RECEIVED BY THE BOARD WERE FOUND TO BE NON RESPONSIVE. IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT WAS TOO LATE TO EFFECTIVELY HAVE A ONE-CALL LOCATING SERVICE FOR THE 1988 CONSTRUCTION SEASON BUT THAT THE UTILITIES WOULD WORK TOWARDS REESTABLISHING A ONE-CALL CENTER IN 1989 IF THE LOCAL ECONOMY COULD SUPPORT IT. THE PUBLIC HAS EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION THAT THEY MUST AGAIN CONTACT THE UTILITIES INDIVIDUALLY. THE UTILITY ASSOCIATION IS FOLLOWING THE PROGRESS OF THE HOUSE ACTION ON HR 2266 AND RECOGNIZES THE BENEFIT OF INCLUDING ELECTRICAL UTILITIES. AGAIN, IT IS THE INTENT OF THE ANCHORAGE AREA UTILITY ASSOCIATION TO REESTABLISH A ONE-CALL CENTER AS SOON AS FEASIBLE. JUNEAU HAS ONE-CALL ANSWERING SERVICE, AND FAIRBANKS IS WORKING ON FORMING ONE.

Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government

Communication Date: 1988-06-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government

Communication Date: 1988-12-14

Communication Type: Official Correspondence