NTSB Safety Recommendation P-96-028

NTSB safety recommendation P-96-028.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE GOVERNOR OF PUERTO RICO: IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCT BURIED-FACILITY OPERATORS TO REVIEW THEIR MAPS & FACILITY RECORDS TO IDENTIFY ERRORS & OMMISIONS, TO UPDATE THEIR SYSTEM MAPS, & TO KEEP THEIR MAPS UP TO DATE. (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 THE PR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS REQUESTED THAT SAN JUAN GAS COMPANY, INC. SUBMIT AN UPDATED MAP OF ITS UNDERGROUND INSTALLATIONS BY EARLY MARCH. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED IN FEBRUARY. ALSO, A SUBCOMMITTEE HAS CREATED TO UPDATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE INFO. THAT WORK IS CHAIRED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PLANNING BOARD & INCLUDED THE TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY, THE ELECTRIC POWER AUTHORITY, THE PR TELEPHONE COMPANY, & THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS THE GOAL OF KEEPING THE GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYSTEM DATA UPDATED & IT HAS ALREADY REQUIRED ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT HAVE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES TO VERIFY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF ITS DATA IS IN THE SYSTEM & HOW MUCH IS MISSING, & TO ESTABLISH A TIME FRAME TO COMPLETE THE SYSTEM. THE MUNICIPALITY OF SAN JUAN IS BEING REQUESTED TO JOIN THE SYSTEM & TO INCLUDE ITS FACILITIES IN THE GIS SYSTEM.

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-96-28 ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCT BURIED-FACILITY OPERATORS TO REVIEW THEIR MAPS & FACILITY RECORDS TO IDENTIFY ERRORS & OMISSONS, TO UPDATE THEIR SYSTEM MAPS, & TO KEEP THEIR MAPS UP TO DATE. SECRETARY BURGOS ADVISED US THAT THE TASK FORCE FORMED A SUBCOMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PLANNING BOARD, TO UPDATE INFRASTRUCTURE INFO. WE NOTE THAT THE SAN JUAN GAS COMPANY, INC., HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO SUBMIT AN UPDATED SYSTEM MAP & WILL PROBABLY DO SO THIS MONTH. IN ADDITION, THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS REQUIRED THAT ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OPERATING BURIED FACILITIES ASSIGN AN OFFICIAL TO VERIFY THEIR FACILITY INFO & TO PROVDE ANY CHANGES TO THE PUERTO RICO PLANNING BOARD, WHICH WILL INCORPORATE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE DATA INTO THE GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYSTE (GIS). FURTHERMORE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS APPROACHED THE MAUNICIPALITY OF SAN JUAN & OTHER PRIVATE BURIED-FACILTIY OPERATORS ABOUT INTEGRATING THEIR SYSTEM INFO INTO THE GIS MAPS. BASED ON THIS INFO P-96-28 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."