An Examination of Outside Forces Damage to Natural Gas Pipelines and Damage Prevention

Overview

Main Objective

This report addressed the issue of damage to underground facilities caused by excavation and related activities, as well as considering the efforts that have been made in recent years to limit and control such damage via laws, regulations, and damage prevention programs such as one-call systems. The emphasis and focus of this study is on outside force damage to U.S. natural gas pipelines, whose safe performance is the regulatory responsibility of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Public Abstract

This report addressed the issue of damage to underground facilities cuased by excavation and related activities, as well as considering the efforts that have been made in recent years to limit and control such damage via laws, regulations, and damage prevention programs such as one-call systems. The emphasis and focus of this study is on outside force damage to U.S. natural gas pipelines, whose safe performance is the regulatory responsibility of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Outside forces damage is the most prevalent cause of U.S. gas pipeline accidents. Thus, to help foster a better understanding of outside forces damage and the impact of related damage prevention programs, this sreport includes a statistical regression model of the level of outside force incidents faced by gas distribution system operators participating in one-call systems. Variables in the estimated regression model included construction levels, state damage prevention law requirements, population levels, gas system pipeline mileage, gas system size, the number of underground operators in one-call systems, one-call request times, calls made to one-call systems per telephone operator, and one-call system advertising levels.

Status History

Complete

Relevant Files & Links