Safety Recommendation P-80-048
Details
Synopsis: ON JULY 25, 1979, AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROYED A DUPLEX APARTMENT HOUSE AT 2301 BRIDGE BOULEVARD, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. TWO PERSONS WERE KILLED, AND TWO PERSONS WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR BURNS; ADJACENT HOUSES WERE DAMAGED.
Recommendation: THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MOUNTAIN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY: DIRECT ITS EXCAVATION CONTRACTORS AS WELL AS ITS COMPANY CREWS NOT TO BEGIN EXCAVATION OPERATIONS UNTIL UNDERGROUND FACILITIES HAVE BEEN MARKED PROPERLY, AND WHEN FACILITIES ARE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF EXCAVATION ACTIVITIES, TO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE OWNER SO THAT INSPECTION, REPAIR, OR OTHER EMERGENCY ACTIONS CAN BE INITIATED.
Original recommendation transmittal letter: PDF
Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action
Mode: Pipeline
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Is Reiterated: No
Is Hazmat: No
Is NPRM: No
Accident #: FTW79FP011
Accident Reports:
Report #: None
Accident Date: 7/25/1979
Issue Date: 5/29/1980
Date Closed: 3/28/1983
Addressee(s) and Addressee Status: Mountain Bell Telephone Company (Closed--No Longer Applicable)
Keyword(s):

Safety Recommendation History
From: Mountain Bell Telephone Company
To: NTSB
Date: 4/7/1983
Response: MOUNTAIN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY LETTER: IN RESPONSE TO YOUR LETTER DATED MARCH 28, 1982, ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES CONCERNING ITEMS P-80-48 AND 49, I HAVE ATTACHED SELECTED PAGES OF OUR BELL SYSTEM PRACTICES AND CONTRACT DOCUMENTS THAT ALL CONTRACTORS PERFORMING WORK FOR MOUNTAIN BELL MUST SIGN. THE BELL SYSTEM PRACTICES APPLY TO BOTH OUR OWN EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS ANYONE PERFORMING CONRACT WORK FOR USE AND THEY ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
From: NTSB
To: Mountain Bell Telephone Company
Date: 3/28/1983
Response:
From: Mountain Bell Telephone Company
To: NTSB
Date: 11/23/1982
Response: MOUNTAIN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY LETTER: THE MOUNTAIN BELL COMPANY PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES THOROUGHLY COVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MADE, AND IT WAS THE FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE PRACTICES THAT RESULTED IN THE EXPLOSION AND FOR WHICH THE THREE EMPLOYEES WERE DISMISSED.
From: NTSB
To: Mountain Bell Telephone Company
Date: 10/8/1982
Response: