NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-76-030 through P-76-035

Page 1Official PDFTA WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR RELEASE: 6:30 P,lI.) E,D,T., JULY 27, 1976 (202) 426-8787 ISSUED: July 27, 1976 SAFETY RECOMMENDATION(S) - P-76-30 through P-76-35 About 1:OO p.m on k c d e r 1, 1974, a repair crew a t work on a leak on the West Texas Gulf Pipe Line Company's 26-inch pipeline near Abilene, Texas, began t o excavate the pipe while it was pwrping sour crude o i l . They attempted to c l a q the leak while the sour crude o i l was spraying into the a i r ; they were not using oxygen breathing equipment, gas vapor detection instmmnts, or ropes attached to &ir belts. All but one man, who ran to the truck to radio for help, were overcane by f m s from the sour crude o i l . O f the seven mn in the repair crew, s i x died. 1/ This seven-man crew consisted of employees of West Texas G u l f Pipe Line Company and employees of an independent contractor, all of whmwere experienced i n working a r m d sour crude o i l pipelines Hawever, the contractor's employees may not have been adequately trained in the pipeline company's operating and nahtenance proce- dures. The National Transportation Safety Board retained an independ- ent testing laboratory t o examine the pipe inwlved. Metallurgical analysis of the f i l l e t welds in the full-wrap sleeves indicated that they were a l l inproperly made and that they were cracked. Tne crack in the weld that failed propagated until leakage occurred 3 mths later. Additianally, other welds which were remved from this line and were tested also contained cracks. - 1/ For mre &tailed information on this accident, read "Pipeline Accident Report -- West Texas Gulf Pipe Line Company, Abilene, Texas, D e c d e r 1, 1974." NEB-PAR-76-4.#

Page 2- 2 - Therefore, the West Texas Gulf Pipe Line Company: Instruct its persorrnel in in t 4 ~ Operations and Maintenance t o assure that procedures are foll Followup) Use qualified welders to instruct its personnel proper iristallation of fillet welding on repair sleeves. (Class 11, Priority Followup) Assure that any cmtrac required safety equipment. (P-76-32) (Class 11, Priority Followup) Instruct its maintenance and operating personnel in th hazards of working around SDUT crude oil. (P-76-33) (Class 11, Priority Followup) Equip its company oxygen breathing equipment, safety ropes, and gas vapor detection instruments. Manitor employee actions to insure that equipmnt is used in accordance with written procedures. (P-76-34) ( C l a s s 11, Priority Folluwup) Examine the repair records for its pipeline system t o dete-e where other fillet weld repairs have been made and exc the pipeline a t these locations to irlspect the fillet weld quali (P-76-35) ( C l a s s 11, Priority Followup) THESE REC(IMMENDATI0NS WrJlL BE RELEASED Iu THE DATF, SHOWN ABOVE. NO PUBLIC DISSE"AT1CN OF THETADXED HEREIN SHOULD BE MADE: BEFORE THAT DATE.#