NTSB Safety Recommendation P-97-035

NTSB safety recommendation P-97-035.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN RAILROADS: URGE YOUR MEMBERS TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN STATEWIDE EXCAVATION DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ONE-CALL NOTIFICATION CENTERS.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1998-01-06

Adopted Date: 1997-12-23

Overall Date Closed: 1998-06-10

Synopsis: A GAS EXPLOSION ON 11/21/96, IN THE RIO PIEDRAS SHOPPING DISTRICT OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, RESULTED IN 33 FATALTIES & 69 INJURIES. THIS ACCIDENT, ONE OF THE DEADLIEST IN PIPELINE HISTORY, MADE 1996 A RECORD YEAR FOR PIPELINE FATALITIES. THE SAN JUAN ACCIDENT ACCOUNTED FOR MORE FATALITIES THAN OCCURRED THE ENTIRE PREVIOUS YEAR, & IT VIVIDLY ILLUSTRATES THE TRAGIC POTENTIAL OF A SINGLE EXCAVATION-DAMAGED PIPE.

Ntsbnumber: 80433

Report Number: SS-97-01

Addressee Name: Association of American Railroads

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1998-06-10

Addressee Acronym: AAR

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1998-06-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE IS PLEASED THAT AAR SUPPORTS FULL PARTICIPATION BY ITS MEMBERS IN STATEWIDE EXCAVATION DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ONE-CALL NOTIFICATION CENTERS, & HAS DISSEMINATED THIS RECOMMENDATION TO ITS CONSITUTENCY. ACCORDINGLY, P-97-35 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: AAR

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1998-03-12

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: (Letter Mail Controlled 3/17/98 5:43:58 PM MC# 980346) I AM WRITING IN REGARD OF P-97-35. I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT RAILROADS HAVE AN EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORD WITH REGARD TO UNDERGROUND PIPELINES LOCATED ON THEIR RIGHTS-OF-WAY. THE PRINCIPAL REASON FOR THIS IS THAT RAILROADS REQUIRE PIPELINES TO BE INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDED PRACTICES OF THE AMERICAN RAILWAY ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION (AREA), WHICH PUBLISHES DETAILED RAILROAD ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS. AREA PIPELINE SPECIFICATIONS CALL FOR SUCH FACILITIES TO BE BURIED THREE TO TEN FEET BELOW THE SURFACE OF RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY, DEPENDING UPON A PIPELINE'S CONTENTS & ITS PROXIMITY TO THE TRACK STRUCTURE. THIS VERTICAL SEPARATION OF RAILROAD & PIPELINE ENVIRONMENTS, ONE ABOVE THE GROUND & THE OTHER CONSIDERABLY BELOW IT, IS THE FIRST & MOST ESSENTIAL STEP IN FOSTERING PIPELINE & RAILROAD SAFETY. THE RESULTING SPATIAL CUSHON BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT OPERATIONS ENSURES THAT PIPELINE DO NOT INTERFERE WITH ROUTINE RAIL ACTIVITIES--INCLUDING NIGHT-OF-WAY MAINTENANCE-- & THAT RAIL OPERATIONS DO NOT INTERFERE WITH PIPELINES. AAR AGREES WITH THE BOARD THAT RAILROAD PARTICIPATION IN STATEWIDE EXCAVATION DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ONE-CALL NOTIFICATION CENTERS, CAN ALSO BE USEFUL IN SITUATIONS IN WHICH EXCAVATION ON RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY IS SUFFICIENTLY DEEP THAT IT THREATENS THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT OF AN UNDERGROUND PIPELINE. FOR THIS REASON, I AM PLEASED TO NOTIFY AAR MEMBERS BY COPY OF THIS LETTER OF P-97-35. UNFORTUNATLEY, AAR BELIEVES THAT IN SOME CASES WELL-INTENDED BUT OVERZEALOUS IMPLEMENTATION OF ON-CALL REQUIREMENTS COULD DIMINISH --RATHER THEN ENHANCE-- THE LEVEL OF SAFETY ON RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY. IN PARTICULAR, AAR IS CONCERNED THAT IMPOSITION OF ONE-CALL REQUIREMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ROUTINE RIGHT-OF-WAY MAINTENANCE COULD UNDERMINE SAFETY Y EXPOSING HUNDREDS LARGELY UNTRAINED UNDERGROUND PIPELINE LOCATOR PERSONNEL TO THE HAZARDS POSED BY PASSING TRAINS. BECAUSE ROUTINE RIGHT-OF-WAY MAINTENANCE DISTRUBS THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND ONLY SUPERFICIALLY & DOES REPRESENT A THREAT TO UNDERGROUND PIPELINES, THE COSTS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PIPELINE LOCATOR PERSONNEL WOULD FAR OUTWEIGH ANY SAFETY BENEFITS. IN ADDITON, AAR IS CONCERNED THAT UNNECESSARY ONE-CALL REQUIREMENTS COULD HAMSTRING EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN THE EVENT OF A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ACCIDENT OR A NATURAL CATASTROPHE AFFECTING RAIL OPERATIONS. CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS DERAILMENTS, EARTHQUAKES, WASHOUTS, MUDSLIDES, & ROCKSLIDES NECESSITATE EMERGENCY EXCAVATION TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY & TO KEEP VITAL FREIGHT TRAFFIC MOVING ACROSS THE NATION.