# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-96-026 - **operation:** document - **citation:** P-96-026 - **title:** NTSB Safety Recommendation P-96-026 - **source type:** guidance - **agency:** National Transportation Safety Board - **status:** guidance - **official:** true - **published on:** 1996-12-16 - **effective on:** 1996-12-16 - **summary:** THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE GOVERNOR OF PUERTO RICO: REQUIRE THE DISSEMINATION OF INFO TO EDUCATE CITIZENS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DANGER TO THEIR SAFETY WHEN THE ODOR OF GAS IS DETECTED & THE ACTIONS THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY & THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. (URGENT) - **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/ntsb-recommendation-p-96-026.json - **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/ntsb-recommendation-p-96-026.md - **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/ntsb-recommendation-p-96-026 - **source url:** https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/P-96-026 **body:** NTSB safety recommendation P-96-026. THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE GOVERNOR OF PUERTO RICO: REQUIRE THE DISSEMINATION OF INFO TO EDUCATE CITIZENS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DANGER TO THEIR SAFETY WHEN THE ODOR OF GAS IS DETECTED & THE ACTIONS THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY & THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. (URGENT) Priority: CLASS I Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Issued Date: 1996-12-16 Adopted Date: 1996-12-16 Overall Date Closed: 1997-12-19 Synopsis: ABOUT 8:30 A.M. ON 11/21/96, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN THE HUMBERTO VIDAL SHOE STORE & OFFICE BUILDING AT 100 JOSE DE DIEGO CALLE IN RIO PIEDRAS, PUERTO RICO. LOCAL EMERGENCY AGENCIES RESPONDED & INITIATED SEARACH & RESCUE OPERATIONS, BY 12/5/96 30 FATALITIES HAD BEEN CONFIRMED, & 5 PEOPLE, BELIEVED TO STILL BE IN THE BUILDING RUINS, WERE MISSING. LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE SUSPENDED SEARCH EFFORTS UNTIL THE BUILDING CAN BE MADE SAFE FOR RESCUE WORKERS. Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the propane gas explosion, fueled by an excavationcaused gas leak, in the basement of the Humberto Vidal, Inc., office building was the failure of San Juan Gas Company, Inc., (1) to oversee its employees’ actions to ensure timely identification and correction of unsafe conditions and strict adherence to operating practices and (2) to provide adequate training to employees. Also contributing to the explosion was (1) the failure of the Research and Special Programs Administration/Office of Pipeline Safety to oversee effectively the pipeline safety program in Puerto Rico, (2) the failure of the Puerto Rico Public Service Commission to require San Juan Gas Company, Inc., to correct identified safety deficiencies, and (3) the failure of Enron Corp. to oversee adequately the operation of San Juan Gas Company, Inc. Ntsbnumber: DCA97MP004 Report Number: PAR-97-01 Addressee Name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 1997-12-19 Addressee Acronym: PR Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government Communication Date: 1996-12-27 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Acronym: PR Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government Communication Date: 1997-10-08 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Acronym: PR Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government Communication Date: 1998-10-09 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 10/23/98 10:54:23 AM MC# 981257 Addressee Acronym: PR Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government Communication Date: 1997-01-31 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: THE PUERTO RICAN SECRETARY OF STATE ADVISED THAT A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE CONCERNED AGENCIES WAS ESTABLISHED TO EVALUATE ALTERNATIVES & TO SUBMIT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EDUCATIONAL PLAN THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD IMPLEMENT. THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS MET ON JANUARY 16 & 30 1997 DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE PROPOSALS TO ACHIEVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION & HAS APPROVED A PLAN TO ENACT ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO THE EDUCATIONAL PLAN. THE PRESIDENT OF THE PUERTO RICAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION WILL SUBMIT THE PLAN NEXT WEEK FOR THE GOVERNOR'S APPROVAL. Addressee Acronym: PR Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government Communication Date: 1997-02-10 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: THE BOARD HAS SINCE BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF THE CONTRACT ISSUED FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE CONDUITS & IS NOW ABLE TO COMPARE THE SPECIFICATIONS IN THE CONTRACT WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE CONDUITS AFTER THEY WERE EXCAVATED. Addressee Acronym: PR Addressee Organization Type: L-Local Government Communication Date: 1997-03-07 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: P-96-26 CALLED FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF INFO TO EDUCATE CITIZENS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DANGER TO THEIR SAFETY WHEN THE ODOR OF GAS IS DETECTED & THE ACTIONS THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY & FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. SECRETARY BURGOS ADVISED US THAT THE TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED A SUBCOMMITTEE TO EVALUATE VARIOUS MEANS TO IMPLEMENTING THIS RECOMMENDATION & THAT ON 1/30/97, THE TASK FORCE APPROVED A PLAN FOR INTEGRATING PUBLIC & PRIVATE EFFORTS TO TRAIN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & THE PUBLIC ON DEALING WITH GAS LEAKS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE TASK FORCE WILL INCLUDE THIS PLAN IN ITS REPORT TO YOU. BASED ON THIS INFO P-96-26 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE." - **truncated:** false - **body characters:** 4551