Nevada PUC pipeline safety division urges safe excavating procedures
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 06/23/2019 - 12:40pm
CARSON CITY — The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada pipeline safety division reports it has investigated several incidents this spring involving excavators attempting improper repairs to stop the flow of natural gas from damaged facilities.
When natural gas pipelines have been damaged and natural gas is escaping, the following steps are the most important to take, according to PUCN Senior Gas Pipeline Engineer Neil Pascual: “Immediately cease work, evacuate the impacted area to minimize the hazard presented by the damaged pipeline, telephone emergency 911 services from a safe area, and contact the utility operator.”
Nevada Revised Statute (“NRS”) 455.140 and Nevada Administrative Code (“NAC”) 455.160 require excavators to follow the steps outlined above and not attempt to operate any valve or other device owned by a utility.
Excavators can minimize the ongoing hazard of a broken pipeline by evacuating all persons from the area, rather than having an unqualified person try to stop the gas flow.
Excavators should not attempt to temporarily stop the flow of gas from a damaged pipeline because:
— The potential for a buildup of static electricity on the plastic pipeline or a person’s fingers can cause ignition. If an excavator attempts to touch the damaged pipeline, that action could result in a spark that ignites the escaping gas and causes a fireball in the immediate area.
— If the excavator is in a deep enough hole or trench where the gas is escaping, the gas could displace most of the oxygen in the trench, resulting in the person inhaling a large quantity of pure natural gas and losing consciousness.
Any person or entity failing to adhere to the laws outlined in NRS Chapter 455 can be subject to civil penalties of up to $2,500 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $250,000 for a given calendar year. Additionally, the excavator could face utility repair and damage costs that may range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars if the damage were to result in a significant incident.
The PUCN has issued more than 50 civil penalties to excavators and operators in the past three years for violations associated with NRS Chapter 455 totaling more than $300,000.
811 – Call Before You Dig
The PUCN reminds businesses and residents that before starting any digging project, no matter how large or small, a call should be placed to the statewide 811 hotline (“Call Before You Dig” program). Professional locators are dispatched, usually within two working days, to the requested dig site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.
For more information about safe digging procedures, visit www.call811.com, www.usanorth811.org or puc.nv.gov
