NTSB Safety Recommendation P-98-013

NTSB safety recommendation P-98-013.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION: REVISE YOUR PLASTIC PIPE MANUAL FOR GAS SERVICE AND YOUR GAS ENGINEERING AND OPERATING PRACTICES SERIES TO PROVIDE COMPLETE AND UNAMBIGUOUS GUIDANCE FOR LIMITING STRESS AT PLASTIC SERVICE CONNECTIONS TO STEEL MAINS.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1998-04-30

Adopted Date: 1998-04-23

Overall Date Closed: 2005-09-13

Synopsis: DESPITE THE GENERAL ACCEPTANCE OF PLASTIC PIPING AS A SAFE AND ECONOMICAL ALTERNATIVE TO PIPING MADE OF STEEL OR OTHER MATERIALS, THE BOARD NOTES THAT A NUMBER OF PIPELINE ACCIDENTS IT HAS INVESTIGATED HAVE INVOLVED PLASTIC PIPING THAT CRACKED IN A BRITTLE-LIKE MANNER. FOR EXAMPLE, ON 10/17/94, AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN WATERLOO, IOWA, DESTROYED A BUILDING AND DAMAGED OTHER PROPERTY. SIX PERSONS DIED AND SEVEN WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE BOARD INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT NATURAL GAS HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM A PLASTIC SERVICE PIPE THAT HAD FAILED IN A BRITTLE-LIKE MANNER AT A CONNECTION TO A STEEL MAIN.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA95MP001

Report Number: SIR-98-01

Addressee Name: American Gas Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2005-09-13

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2004-07-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 8/5/2004 2:26:58 PM MC# 2040488 As you noted in your letter of April 21, 2004, AGA completed the portion of the safety recommendation requesting revisions to the Plastic Pipe Manual for Gas Service (2002 Edition). The AGA Distribution & Transmission Engineering Committee met during the AGA Spring Operations Conference and agreed to include the same safety recommendation in its revision of the Gas Engineering and Operating Practices manual. The committee is working to complete comprehensive revisions to this manual by the end of 2004.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2005-06-22

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 6/27/2005 3:21:17 PM MC# 2050270 AGA completed the portion of the safety recommendation requesting revisions to the Plastic Pipe Manual for Gus Service (2002 Edition). The AGA Distribution & Transmission Engineering Committee met during the AGA Spring Operations Conference and agreed to include the same safety recommendation in its revision of the Gas Engineering and Operating Practices manual. The committee completed comprehensive revisions to this manual at the end of 2004. The revisions recommended by the NTSB have been included in the revised manual. Copies of the manual have been sent to Mr. Robert Chipkevich. We believe that the steps taken as described above should be sufficient for the NTSB to categorize the safety recommendations as a "closed--acceptable" response. Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Lori Traweek, AGA senior vice-president, at 202-824-7330, or me should you have questions or require further information. Dave N. Parker

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1998-10-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: (Letter Mail Controlled 10/14/98 6:19:09 PM MC# 981240) YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT THE NTSB'S RECOMMENDATION TO THE A.G.A. P-98-13 HAS RECEIVED, & WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE, FULL REVIEW & CONSIDERATION. CURRENTLY, A.G.A.'S PLASTIC MATERIALS COMMITTEE IS CONSIDERING P-98-13 IN THE CONTEXT OF REVISING THE PLASTIC PIPE MANUAL. WE EXPECT THE REVISION PROCESS TO TAKE APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. THE GAS ENGINEERING OPERATING PRATICES (GEOP), BOOK D-2: MAINS & SERVICES - OPERATING CONSIDERATIONS, IS NOT CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR REVISION. A.G.A.'S DISTRIBUTION CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE (RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GEOP SECTIONS REFERRED TO IN P-98-13), IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PLASTIC MATERIALS COMMITTEE, WILL DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR THE REFERENCE GEOP SECTIONS IN LIGHT OF P-98-13. I WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS AS TO THE STATUS OF THE ABOVE EFFORTS.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-08-23

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 08/30/2000 4:14:50 PM MC# 2001184 The AGA Plastic Materials Committee is currently reviewing the new draft of the Plastic Pipe Manual. The paragraph referenced by the NTSB in Chapter IV of the manual has been brought to the attention of the committee. Some committee member ballots have already been received. AGA has included funds for revisions to this manual in this year's budget and we are on our way towards issuing a revised manual this year or early in 2001. Revisions to the Gas Engineering Operating Practices (GEOP), Book D-2: Mains and Services - Operating Considerations have been contracted to the Gas Technology Institute. The goal is to complete revisions to this manual in 2001. The concerns raised by safety recommendation P-98-13 will be part of the review. Gas distribution utilities continue to improve the safety of their systems. A look at death or injury statistics between 1989 and 1998 shows that the number of incidents involving natural gas distribution systems has decreased by 21 percent. This decrease would have been bigger were it not for outside force damage incidents (primarily excavation damage), which experienced an increase of 50 percent over the same period. Outside force damage prevention continues to be one of AGA's top priorities in pipeline safety.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2002-05-28

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board is interested in knowing whether and how its recommendations are implemented, both to ensure that the traveling public is provided the highest level of safety, and to identify creative solutions that might be shared with others. That is why we monitor the implementation of all our recommendations. We would appreciate an update from you regarding actions taken or planned to implement this recommendation.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2005-09-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board notes that the AGA has completed revisions to the Plastic Pipe Manual for Gas Service (2002 Edition) with the recommended guidance. We also note that the AGA included this guidance in its revision of the Gas Engineering and Operating Practices manual. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P-98-13 is classified "Closed--Acceptable Action."

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2004-04-21

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board understands from staff contact and from the AGA's Web site that the AGA revised its Plastic Pipe Manual for Gas Service (2002 edition), but that it has not yet updated its Gas Engineering and Operating Practices (GEOP) series as requested. Accordingly, pending receipt of further information from the AGA on its progress in revising the GEOP series, Safety Recommendation P-98-13 is classified "Open--Acceptable Response." The Safety Board would appreciate receiving periodic updates from the AGA on the status of action to implement Safety Recommendations P-93-22 and P-98-13.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2004-10-21

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board understands that the AGA completed revisions to the Plastic Pipe Manual for Gas Service (2002 Edition). We also note that the AGA Distribution & Transmission Engineering Committee met during the AGA Spring Operations Conference and agreed to include the same safety recommendation in its revision of the Gas Engineering and Operating Practices manual, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2004. Pending revision of the Gas Engineering and Operating Practices manual, Safety Recommendation P-98-13 remains classified "Open--Acceptable Response."

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1998-11-20

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD ASKED THAT THE AGA REVISE ITS PLASTIC PIPE MANUAL FOR GAS SERVICE & ITS GAS ENGINEERING & OPERATING PRACTICES SERIES TO PROVIDE COMPLETE & UNAMBIGUOUS GUIDANCE FOR LIMITING STRESS AT PLASTIC PIPE SERVICE CONNECTIONS TO STEEL MAINS. OF COURSE, THE BOARD DID NOT ASK THE AGA TO ADVOCATE PROTECTIVE SLEEVES FOR ALL SITUATIONS, BUT RATHER, THE BOARD POINTED OUT AREAS NEEDING IMPROVED GUIDANCE. THE BOARD IS PLEASED THAT THE AGA'S PLASTIC MATERIALS COMMITTEE IS CONSIDERING THIS RECOMMENDATION IN THE PENDING REVISION OF THE PLASTIC PIPE MANUAL FOR GAS SERVICE & THAT THE AGA'S DISTRIBUTION CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE IS CONSIDERING THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION FOR THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONS OF THE GAS ENGINEERING & OPERATING PRACTICES SERIES. ACCORDINGLY, P-98-13 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE," PENDING COMPLETION OF THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE MANUAL. THE BOARD KNOWS THAT A NUMBER OF GAS SYSTEM OPERATORS WERE AWARE THAT CERTAIN BRANDS OF OLDER PLASTIC PIPING MATERIALS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO PREMATURE BRITTLE-LIKE CRACKING & WERE MONITORING THEIR PLASTIC PIPELINE SYSTEMS. THE BOARD FOUND A NUMBER OF GAS PIPELINE OPERATORS WHO DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT DATA TO PROVIDE AN ACCOUNT OF BRITTLE-LIKE FAILURE THAT HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED IN THEIR SYSTEMS. THE BOARD'S REPORT SHOWED THAT GAS PIPELINE SYSTEM OPERATORS HAVE HAD INSUFFICIENT NOTIFICATION THAT MUCH OF THE PLASTIC PIPE MANUFACTURED FROM THE 1960S THROUGH THE MID-1980S MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO BRITTLE-LIKE CRACKING & THEREFORE, THAT THE GAS PIPELINE SYSTEM OPERATORS MAY NOT HAVE IMPLEMENTED ADEQUATE PIPELINE SURVEILLANCE & REPLACEMENT PROGRAMS FOR THEIR OLDER PIPING. THE BOARD DISAGREES WITH YOUR STATEMENT THAT THE GENERAL TONE OF THE REPORT SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT PLASTIC PIPE IS NOT SAFE. WE THINK THAT THE REPORT STRAIGHTFORWARDLY ADDRESSES CERTAIN SAFETY ISSUES REGARDING PLASTIC PIPE. THE BOARD DOES NOT PROPOSE TO DISCOURAGE PIPELINE SYSTEM OPERATORS FROM USING PLASTIC PIPE. BUT THE LACK OF EXPECTED DUCTILITY IN CERTAIN OLDER BRANDS OF PLASTIC PIPING NEEDS THE ATTENTION OF ALL GAS PIPELINE OPERATORS HAVING THESE MATERIALS IN SERVICE.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-06-14

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING OF ANY ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2001-03-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board appreciates receiving the AGA’s update on the status of this project and is pleased that the AGA’s Plastic Materials Committee is considering this recommendation in the pending revision of the Plastic Pipe Manual for Gas Service. The Board also notes that the AGA’s Distribution Construction and Maintenance Committee is considering the appropriate revisions for sections of the Gas Engineering and Operating Practices series. Accordingly, pending completion of the recommended changes to the manual, Safety Recommendation P?98?13 remains classified “Open--Acceptable Response.”