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Serious Pipeline Incidents By Cause

This report is a sub-report of the PHMSA Serious Pipeline Incidents report. As such, it represents only Serious Incidents (A) over the time period and pipeline system specified.

The data source for this table is the PHMSA Filtered Incident Files.(1) (2) (3)

Where appropriate, the table columns can be sorted by clicking the corresponding column header.

More Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports are available.

Important Update: As of October 2009, these reports were modified to exclude Gas Distribution incidents where fire/explosion was the primary cause of failure, such as a house fire that subsequently resulted in - but was not caused by - a distribution line failure (B)
National All Pipeline Systems: Serious Incident Details: 2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % of Total
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 2 5.0%
Sub Total 2 5.0%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 3 7.5%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 5 12.5%
Sub Total 8 20.0%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 5 12.5%
Sub Total 5 12.5%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 2 5.0%
COMPONENT 1 2.5%
Sub Total 3 7.5%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
HIGH WINDS 1 2.5%
Sub Total 1 2.5%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 6 15.0%
VANDALISM 1 2.5%
Sub Total 7 17.5%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 3 7.5%
UNKNOWN 11 27.5%
Sub Total 14 35.0%
Totals 40 100.0%
National, All Pipeline Systems, 2008
National Hazardous Liquid: Serious Incident Details: 2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % of Total
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 1 33.3%
Sub Total 1 33.3%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 1 33.3%
Sub Total 1 33.3%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
UNKNOWN 1 33.3%
Sub Total 1 33.3%
Totals 3 100.0%
National, Hazardous Liquid, 2008
National Hazardous Liquid Onshore: Serious Incident Details: 2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % of Total
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 1 33.3%
Sub Total 1 33.3%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 1 33.3%
Sub Total 1 33.3%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
UNKNOWN 1 33.3%
Sub Total 1 33.3%
Totals 3 100.0%
National, Hazardous Liquid Onshore, 2008

No Data Available

National Gas Transmission: Serious Incident Details: 2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % of Total
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 1 20.0%
Sub Total 1 20.0%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 2 40.0%
Sub Total 2 40.0%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
COMPONENT 1 20.0%
Sub Total 1 20.0%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 1 20.0%
Sub Total 1 20.0%
Totals 5 100.0%
National, Gas Transmission, 2008
National Gas Transmission Onshore: Serious Incident Details: 2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number % of Total
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 1 20.0%
Sub Total 1 20.0%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 2 40.0%
Sub Total 2 40.0%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
COMPONENT 1 20.0%
Sub Total 1 20.0%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 1 20.0%
Sub Total 1 20.0%
Totals 5 100.0%
National, Gas Transmission Onshore, 2008

No Data Available

No Data Available

National Gas Distribution: Serious Incident Details: 2008
Reported Cause of Incident (C) Number (B) % of Total
CORROSION
CORROSION, EXTERNAL 2 6.2%
Sub Total 2 6.2%
EXCAVATION DAMAGE
OPERATOR EXCAVATION DAMAGE 1 3.1%
THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 5 15.6%
Sub Total 6 18.7%
INCORRECT OPERATION
INCORRECT OPERATION 3 9.3%
Sub Total 3 9.3%
MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE
BODY OF PIPE 2 6.2%
Sub Total 2 6.2%
NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
HIGH WINDS 1 3.1%
Sub Total 1 3.1%
OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE NOT RELATED TO... 4 12.5%
VANDALISM 1 3.1%
Sub Total 5 15.6%
ALL OTHER CAUSES
MISCELLANEOUS 3 9.3%
UNKNOWN 10 31.2%
Sub Total 13 40.6%
Totals 32 100.0%
National, Gas Distribution, 2008

Notes

  1. Serious Incidents are those incidents reported by pipeline operators involving a fatality or injury requiring in-patient hospitalization.
  2. Gas Distribution incidents where fire/explosion was the primary cause of failure, such as a house fire that subsequently resulted in - but was not caused by - a distribution line failure are excluded from 2004 onward. This exclusion has not been applied in years prior to 2004 due to difficulty in identifying these types of events with the older report formats.
  3. PHMSA has gathered increasingly targeted incident cause data over time. As such, the available reportable categories of cause (eg: Internal/External Corrosion vs Corrosion in general) have increased over time. This report spans time periods over which the reportable cause categories have changed. The cause categories in this report should be taken as general and not specific for years prior to 2002 for Liquid and Gas Transmission, and prior to 2004 for Gas Distribution.

Sources

  1. PHMSA Hazardous Liquid Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009
  2. PHMSA Gas Transmission Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009
  3. PHMSA Gas Distribution Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009

See Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports for more pipeline safety reports.

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