NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-71-002

Page 1Official PDFISSUED: b[arch 9 , 1971 Adopted by t h e N P T IONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD a: i t s o f f i c e i n Washington, D . C.. on t h e 2 7 t h day of j a n u a r y , 1971. FORWARDED TO: ) Honorable C a r l V . Lyon ) A c t i n g Federa 1 R a i l r o a d A d m i n i s t r a t o r Adminis t r d t i o n ) 1 Vashington, D. C. 20591 1 1 SAFETY RECOMMENDAT I ON 1’-71.-2 _ _ _ ~ T h i s i s i n r e g a r d t o t h e r e g u h t i o n s reqiiiri-ng t h e r e p o r t i n g of a c c i d e n t s which o c c u r i n l i q u i d p i p e l i n e s y s t e m s . There d e l a y i n t h e n o t i f i c a t i o n t o the N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n h a s b e e n a S a f e t y Board o f c e r t a i n major a c c i d e n t s . The reason f o r t h e d e l a y a p p e a r s t o stem from a d e f i c i e n c y i n t h e r e g u l a t i o n s t h e m s e l v e s . A s you know, t h e a c c i d e n t r e p o r t i n g r e q u i r e m e n t s a r e found i n 49 CFR 195.50 through 195.62. It is n o t e d however, i n s e c t i o n 195.52, t h a t immediate n o t i c e t o t h e A d n i i n i s t r a t o r , by t e l e g r a p h o r t e l e p h o n e , is r e q u i r e d o n l y upon t h e d e a t h o f any p e r s o n a s a r e s u l t o f t h e a c c i d e n t . The d e f i c i e n c y o f t h e s e r e g u l . a t i o n s i s p o i n t e d o u t i n a r e c e n t a c c i d e n t . On November 1 7 , 1970, a 6-inch l i q u e f i e d petroleum g a s l i n e o p e r a t e d by t h e Mid-America P i p e L i n e Company (MAPCO) was s t r u c k by a d i t c h i n g machine n e a r Snyder, T e x a s . The lj.ne was r u p t u r e d and t h e r e s u l t i n g f i r e s e v e r e l y burned two men, r e q u i r i n g t h e i r h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n . One man s u b s e q u e n t l y d i e d ’ o n November 2 1 , 1970, and t h e o t h e r on November 23, 1970. MAPCO forwarded a t e l e g r a m d a t e d November 2 3 , 1970, which was r e c e i v e d i n your o f f i c e on t h e morning o f November 2 4 t h . Your Bureau o f R a i l r o a d S a f e t y p e r s o n n e l q u i c k l y n o t i f i e d t h e S a f e t y Board o f t h i s a c c i d e n t ; however, by t h a t t i m e , it was 7 days a f t e r t h e a c c i d e n t o c c u r r e d . Any i n v e s t i g a t i o n by any agency a t t h a t time would n o t have been v e r y m e a n i n g f u l , a s r e p a i r s t o t h e damaged l i n e would have been completed and t h e a r e a c l e a n e d u p , r e s u l t i n g i n t h e removal of most of t h e e v i d e n c e . It i s noted t h a t a c c o r d i n g t o t h e r e g u l a t i o n s , i n i t i a l n o t i f i c a t i o n s h o u l d have been forwarded by t h e carrier immediately upon b e i n g made aware o f t h e d e a t h o f t h e f i r s t workman on November 2 1 . However, t h i s s t i l l would have been 4 days a f t e r t h e o c c u r r e n c e o f t h e a c c i d e n t .#

Page 2- 2 - On the other hand, requirements f o r reporting leaks n a t u r a l gas pipelines a r e more co a l s o is noted t h a t requirements f o r telephonic r e p o r t s of hazardous materials incidents have r e c e n t l y been issued un CFR 171.15. Based on the foregoing discussion, the Safety Boar The regulations f o r reporting accidents whic i n l i q u i d pipeline systems be revised to require telephone r e p o r t s under circ which now require immediate r e p o r t s of gas pipeline an hazardous materials accidents. This w i l l enable t h e D ment and the Safety Board t o be m accidents requiring investigation, and will r e s u l t in meaningful investigations. This recommendation will be released t o the public on t d a t e shown above. No public dissemination of the contents 0 document should be made prior to t h a t date. Reed, Chairman, Laurel, McAdams, concurred i n the above recommendation.#