Mechanical Fitting Failure Data from Gas Distribution Operators
Title
49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR Parts 191, 192) requires gas
distribution pipeline operators to submit reports on an annual basis of all
hazardous leaks that involve a mechanical fitting (DOT Form PHMSA F-7100.1-2).
The CFR defines a hazardous leak, as well as criteria for submitting
reports to the Office of Pipeline Safety. The following kinds of
information are collected:
·
Key Report information
·
Date and Location information
·
Type of Mechanical Fitting Involved information
·
Apparent Cause of Leak information
·
Manufacturer information
The
reports are used for identifying long- and short-term trends at the national,
state and operator-specific levels. The frequency, causes, and fittings
involved provide insight into the safety metrics currently used by PHMSA, state
partners, and other pipeline safety stakeholders, including the pipeline
industry and general public. PHMSA also uses the data for inspection planning
and risk assessment.
Mechanical
Fitting Failure Reporting (MFFR) Requirements
How
to Access Files
Use
this link of the PHMSA web pages:
The
ZIP file at the right contains various files; files containing descriptions of
the fields/columns, and files containing the data.
Download,
extract, and save the files from the ZIP file from Related Downloads on the
right.
Notice
of Public Webinar on Implementation of Gas Pipeline Distribution Integrity
Management Programs
Notice
Of Public Webinar.
Summary
Gas
distribution pipeline operators were required to have prepared and implemented
distribution integrity management programs (DIMP) by August 2, 2011. Federal
and state regulators have been inspecting those programs and their
implementation since that date. This webinar will be an opportunity for the
regulators to share their experience with implementation topics with the public
and the regulated community. The webinar will also include discussion of
analyses of the 2013 submissions of data concerning mechanical fitting failures
in gas distribution pipelines.
Members
of the public may attend this free webinar. To help assure that adequate space
is provided, all attendees are required to register for the webinar at http://opsweb.phmsa.dot.gov/webinars.
Upon registration, LiveMeeting information will be distributed. Due to the
limited capacity, we encourage and request that parties at the same location
share a LiveMeeting link for the video portion of the webinar and share a
standard phone line for the teleconferenced voice portion of the webinar. Refer
to the DIMP Web site for additional information on distribution integrity
management: http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/dimp/index.htm.
Copies
of the presentations provided in the webinar will be available on the DIMP Web
site within 30 days following the webinar.
SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION: Back
to Top
The
DIMP final rule was published December 4, 2009, (74 FR 63906)
and became effective on August 2, 2011. DIMP supplemented the existing
requirements applicable to gas distribution pipeline systems by adding
performance-based requirements for risk management. It requires pipeline
operators to analyze their pipeline systems, identify threats and risks that
may be unique to their systems and take appropriate actions to address those
threats and risks. DIMP is designed to improve the safety performance of gas
distribution pipelines by ensuring that distribution pipeline operators use
available data and prioritize their risk mitigation activities.
A DIMP
Implementation Team (Team) was created as a collaboration of state and Federal
regulators to support improvements in the integrity of the Nation's gas
distribution pipeline systems through development of inspection methods and
guidance for the evaluation of an operator's distribution integrity management
program. Regulation of gas distribution pipeline systems and oversight of DIMP
implementation is largely the responsibility of PHMSA's state partners. The
Team recognized the challenges posed by the individual characteristics of each
state's oversight program and operating conditions as well as the challenges
that distribution system operators would face in building an integrity
management culture. Due to the high level, risk-based, performance-oriented
nature of the regulations contained in §§ 192.1001 and 192.1015, the Team
recognized that operators could benefit from guidance in implementing their
programs. The team sponsored two webinars to provide operators with information
and to direct operators to resource material prior to the August 2, 2011,
effective date of the rule by which time operators were required to have
developed and implemented their DIMP plans. These webinars were conducted on
May 10, 2011, and June 8, 2011.
Following
the August 2, 2011, deadline by which distribution pipeline operators must have
developed and implemented their DIMP plans, the team sponsored a webinar on
January 25, 2012, and a public meeting on June 27, 2012. The material presented
at these events summarized early inspection experiences, including the types of
concerns identified by regulators and operators and where the initial
inspection experience indicates that operators should devote additional
attention to assure compliance.
States
are implementing the DIMP rule in accordance with the applicable certification
under 49 U.S.C. 60105 or agreement under section 60106. State
inspectors will participate in this webinar, but not all states may
participate. Since regulatory structures differ among states and some states
have established more stringent requirements, operators should contact the
state authority regulating their distribution pipeline system for more
information.
The
DIMP rule also required distribution pipeline operators to report failures of
mechanical fittings that result in hazardous leaks. Such failures have been the
cause of a number of serious accidents on distribution pipelines. Collection of
this data is intended to facilitate better understanding of the causes of
fitting failures and actions that can/should be taken to prevent future
failures. Operators have the option of submitting reports as failures occur or
of submitting all reports for a calendar year by March 15 of the following
year. The new reporting requirement became effective on April 4, 2011.
Operators have submitted reports to PHMSA for failures occurring in 2011, and
by the time of this webinar, operators will have submitted reports to PHMSA for
failures occurring in 2013. These reports will be analyzed prior to the webinar
and PHMSA will discuss the results of these analyses. Stakeholders should note
that lessons from mechanical fitting failure reporting may be preliminary at
this time. With only three years' worth of data, any trends or analyses will be
based on a limited set of data. The analyses will provide some information that
will be shared with stakeholders.
Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting & Forensics
(MECF)
Providing
Competent, Expert and Objective Investigative Engineering and Consulting
Services
P.O.
Box 520
Tenafly,
NJ 07670-0520
Tel.:
(973) 897-8162
Fax:
(973) 810-0440
E-mail:
metroforensics@gmail.com
We
are happy to announce the launch of our twitter account. Please make sure to
follow us at @MetropForensics or @metroforensics
Metropolitan
appreciates your business.
Feel
free to recommend our services to your friends and colleagues.
