NTSB Safety Recommendation P-87-036

NTSB safety recommendation P-87-036.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY: DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO USE, IN THE EVENT OF GAS PIPELINE LEAKS, CIVIL EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES TO IMPLEMENT EMERGENCY ACTIONS SUCH AS ALERTING RESIDENTS AND VENTILATING AND EVACUATING BUILDINGS PENDING THE ARRIVAL OF GAS COMPANY PERSONNEL.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action

Issued Date: 1987-09-02

Adopted Date: 1987-08-17

Overall Date Closed: 2003-03-17

Synopsis: A NEW WATER MAIN WAS BEING INSTALLED ALONG 14TH STREET IN CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS BY THE ALPHA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY (CONTRACTOR). BEFORE THE WORK WAS BEGUN THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY MARKED THE LOCATION OF ITS SERVICE LINES AND MAINS. ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 13, 1986, WHILE EXCAVATING EAST OF THE MARKED SERVICE LINE FOR 204 14TH STREET, THE CONTRACTOR'S CREW SNAGGED A GAS SERVICE LINE WITH A BACKHOE. BECAUSE THIS GAS SERVICE LINE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET AWAY FROM THE MARK AND BECAUSE OF THE LINE'S DETERIORATED CONDITION, THE CONTRACTOR'S CREW ASSUMED CORRECTLY THAT IT WAS ABANDONED AND USED IT AS AN INDICATION THAT THEY WERE NEAR THE AREA OF THE THE ACTIVE SERVICE LINE. THE FOREMAN INSTRUCTED THE BACKHOE OPERATOR TO TAKE OFF THE "FROST" USING THE BACKHOE, IN PREPARATION FOR EXCAVATING BY HAND DIGGING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, ABOUT 7:30 A.M., THE BACKHOE SNAGGED THE ACTIVE, WRAPPED, 3/4-INCH STEEL NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE FOR 204 14TH STREET. THE LINE WAS OPERATING AT 28 PSIG AND WAS 30 INCHES BELOW THE SURFACE. ACCORDING TO THE FOREMAN, THE CREW COULD SMELL GAS BUT THEY DID NOT OBSERVE ANY BLOWING GAS AROUND THE SNAGGED SERVICE LINE. THE FOREMAN RADIOED HIS OFFICE AND REPORTED THE LEAK. AT 7:37 A.M. THE OFFICE PERSONNEL CALLED THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY (GAS COMPANY) AND INFORMED THE GAS COMPANY OF THE ACCIDENT BUT RECEIVED NO INSTRUCTIONS FROM IT. THE GAS COMPANY'S CALL RECORD SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A LINE HIT REPORTED AT ROUTE 30 (14TH STREET) AND GARDEN. THE RECORD HAD THE FOLLOWING HANDWRITTEN NOTE, "HIT LINE-DON'T KNOW IF BLOWING"; HOWEVER, THE RECORD WAS STAMPED "LEAK."

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA86FP011

Report Number: PAR-87-01-SUM

Addressee Name: Northern Illinois Gas Company

Addressee Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2003-03-17

Addressee Acronym: Nicor

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2003-03-17

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: As explained in previous correspondence with Nicor regarding this recommendation and as discussed recently with Nicor staff, what the Safety Board intended in this recommendation was the development of guidelines for dispatchers and customer service operators to follow when deciding whether to involve local emergency response resources. The Board was recently informed that Nicor would hold a strategy meeting to discuss this issue and provide the Board with information on the results of that meeting. As we have not received any further information from Nicor on this recommendation, and given the time that has elapsed since the recommendation was issued, the Board has no alternative but to classify Safety Recommendation P-87-36 "Closed--Unacceptable Action." If, however, Nicor can provide the Board with information outlining actions taken in response to this recommendation, we will consider reclassifying the recommendation.

Addressee Acronym: Nicor

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1988-03-21

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board appreciates your position on this issue. We note that your company was not asked to provide for the inclusion of local public safety officials for all leaks reported. We agree that this kind of action could be burdensome on the resources of these agencies. What we were looking for was the development of some guidelines for dispatchers and customer service operators to follow as an aid in deciding when to involve local emergency response resources. We will hold this recommendation as "Open--Acceptable Action" pending further response from Northern Illinois Gas.

Addressee Acronym: Nicor

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1988-09-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board is still concerned that the point of Safety Recommendation P-87-36 has been misunderstood. What we were looking for, as explained in our March 21, 1988, letter to Northern Illinois Gas, was the development of guidelines for dispatchers and customer service operators to follow as an aid in deciding when to involve local emergency response resources. Your January 4, 1988, response stated your concern that we were asking that the local emergency response agencies be contacted for all leak reports; and this response implies that you have turned that action over to the person reporting the leak. We once again urge you to develop a set of guidelines that will aid dispatchers and customer service personnel within your company in making the decision of when to call upon local response agencies to assist the gas company in initial emergency response actions. We will hold this recommendation as "Open--Unacceptable Action" pending further response from Northern Illinois Gas.

Addressee Acronym: Nicor

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1988-01-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: PROGRAMS ARE IN PLACE NOW WITH WHICH NI-GAS INSTRUCTS LOCAL FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS ON PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. A VIDEO TAPE "EMERGENCY PLAN" IS SHOWN TO FIREFIGHTERS. COPIES OF THE BOOKLET "CONTROLLING NATURAL GAS IN EMERGENCIES" ARE DISTRIBUTED TO FIREFIGHTERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES. FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND NI-GAS FIRE SCHOOLS HELD ANNUALLY AT TROY GROVE, ILL., AND IN EACH OPERATING DIVISION. THESE TRAINING AIDS DETAIL WHAT EMERGENCY ACTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN UNDER CERTAIN SITUATIONS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE USE OF CIVIL EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES FOR ALL GAS PIPELINE LEAKS MAY BE AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THE AGENCIES. ONLY IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE PROMPT ACTION IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO SAVE LIFE OR PROTECT PROPERTY, AND WHERE IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT THE AGENCY RESPONSE WOULD BE FASTER THAN THE UTILITIES', SHOULD THE CIVIL EMERGENCY ORGANIZATIONS BE CALLED IN. A NEWSPAPER AND RADIO ADVERTISEMENT, PUBLISHED AND BROADCAST REGULARLY IN NEWSPAPERS AND RADIOS IN THE NI GAS SERVICE AREA, INSTRUCTS HOMEOWNERS TO CALL POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENTS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

Addressee Acronym: Nicor

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1988-08-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: IN SPECIFIC RESPONSE TO P-87-36, THE COMPANY STATES: WE AGREE THAT THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN A PROPER RESPONSE IS TO CALL A LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY. GUIDELINE NO. 4 FROM OUR "GUIDELINES FOR SCHEDULING GAS LEAKS AND EMERGENCIES" ADDRESSES THE PROPER RESPONSE. OUR PERSONNEL ACTIVELY TRAIN CIVIL EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCY PEOPLE IN PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW WHEN A NATURAL GAS EMERGENCY OCCURS. THIS TRAINING OCCURS AT SPECIAL SCHOOLS SUCH AS OUR ANNUAL TROY GROVE FIRE SCHOOL OR AT LOCAL SITES WHERE VARIOUS PROCEDURES ARE TAUGHT. OUR TRAINING OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCY PERSONNEL IS EXTENSIVE AND IS CONDUCTED ON A CONTINUAL BASIS. GUIDELINE NO. 4 READS: EMERGENCY CALLS INVOLVING BLOWING GAS TO BROKEN MAINS, SERVICES, APPLIANCE CONNECTORS, OR FUEL LINES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED WITH A TELEPHONE CALL TO THE DIVISION DISPATCHER AFTER SCHEDULING THE CALL TO ALERT HIM OF THE EMERGENCY. IF SUCH CONDITIONS EXIST, AND A STRONG ODOR IS PRESENT, INSTRUCT THE CALLER TO EVACUATE THE BUILDING AND CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM A NEARBY TELEPHONE. ON 959 ORDERS, PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU CAN GET FROM THE CALLER, SUCH AS, HOW AND WHO HIT THE SERVICE, NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER OF CONTRACTOR, ETC.