Memo: Internal — Pipeline Safety Interpretation

Page 1SECTION: 192.515 INFORMATION: Applicability of Part 192 to insure environmental protection and safety requirements FROM:Cesar De Leon, DPS-10 7/22/91 TO: Interpretation Files Facts: On July 27, 1990, a contractors' employee was fatally injured during the pressure testing of 36" pipeline, operated by Trunkline Gas Company. The employee was injured when he opened a 2" Apollo ball valve installed on a test header. The Valve was part of the test header piping connecting the test header to the pressure pump. The contractor had completed the low pressure test and was in the process of beginning the higher pressure test on this section of the pipeline. The Apollo Valve that failed indicates that the 1500 Pig Rated Valve failed under an approximate pressure of 1200 Pig. The metallurgical report indicates that the valve failed by overload and that intergranular fracture was a contributing factor. Question: of these valves? Is this incident subject to OPS jurisdiction? Are there any other failures reported Interpretation: Section 192.515 does apply to this situation. I do not know of other failures of these valves. OPS does have jurisdiction over this incident. This is not a reportable accident because it did not involve a release of gas as per Section 191.3. DB C:\WP51\INTERPRT\192\515\91-07-22 1#