NTSB Safety Recommendation P-84-015

NTSB safety recommendation P-84-015.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE GAS RESEARCH INSTITUTE: CONDUCT RESEARCH AND DEVELOP GUIDELINES CONCERNING SAFE BENDING RADII FOR PLASTIC PIPE CONTAINING BUTT, SADDLE, AND SOCKET FUSIONS.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1984-06-15

Adopted Date: 1984-05-17

Overall Date Closed: 1995-06-02

Synopsis: ON JULY 12, 1983, NATURAL GAS ESCAPING UNDER 60 POUNDS PRESSURE FROM A CRACK IN A BUTT FUSION JOINT IN A 2-INCH PLASTIC GAS MAIN ENTERED AN APARTMENT BUILDING IN CLEAR LAKE, IOWA, EXPLODED, AN THEN BURNED. TWO INTERSTATE POWER COMPANY EMPLOYEES WERE INJURED, ONE APARTMENT BUILDING WAS DESTROYED, AND THE ADJACENT APARTMENT BUILDING WAS DAMAGED HEAVILY. DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN $1 MILLION; NONE OF THE RESIDENTS WERE INJURED OR KILLED.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA83MP022

Report Number: PAR-84-02

Addressee Name: Gas Research Institute

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1995-06-02

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-06-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: GRI LETTER: FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, GRI HAS BEEN SUPPORTING RESEARCH ON BUTT-FUSED, SOCKET-FUSED, AND SADDLE-FUSED JOINTS OF POLYETHYLENE GAS PIPES AND FITTINGS. SOME PRELIMINARY WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON BENDING STRESSES INFUSED PIPE AND HAS INDICATED THAT THE POTENTIAL EXISTS TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR BENDING RADII FOR FUSED JOINTS (SEE ATTACHMENT A). AS A RESULT OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, THIS PROJECT WILL BE EXPANDED BEGINNING IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 1984 TO INCLUDE THE DETERMINATION OF ALLOWABLE LIMITS ON BENDING RADII. TECHNICAL DATA AND GUIDELINES WILL BE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF 1986 FOR INITIAL REVIEW BY THE INDUSTRY.

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1995-04-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-09-17

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1995-06-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence