Title 49

SECTION 192.615

192.615 Emergency plans.

§ 192.615 Emergency plans.

(a) Each operator shall establish written procedures to minimize the hazard resulting from a gas pipeline emergency. At a minimum, the procedures must provide for the following:

(1) Receiving, identifying, and classifying notices of events which require immediate response by the operator.

(2) Establishing and maintaining adequate means of communication with appropriate fire, police, and other public officials.

(3) Prompt and effective response to a notice of each type of emergency, including the following:

(i) Gas detected inside or near a building.

(ii) Fire located near or directly involving a pipeline facility.

(iii) Explosion occurring near or directly involving a pipeline facility.

(iv) Natural disaster.

(4) The availability of personnel, equipment, tools, and materials, as needed at the scene of an emergency.

(5) Actions directed toward protecting people first and then property.

(6) Emergency shutdown and pressure reduction in any section of the operator's pipeline system necessary to minimize hazards to life or property.

(7) Making safe any actual or potential hazard to life or property.

(8) Notifying appropriate fire, police, and other public officials of gas pipeline emergencies and coordinating with them both planned responses and actual responses during an emergency.

(9) Safely restoring any service outage.

(10) Beginning action under § 192.617, if applicable, as soon after the end of the emergency as possible.

(11) Actions required to be taken by a controller during an emergency in accordance with § 192.631.

(b) Each operator shall:

(1) Furnish its supervisors who are responsible for emergency action a copy of that portion of the latest edition of the emergency procedures established under paragraph (a) of this section as necessary for compliance with those procedures.

(2) Train the appropriate operating personnel to assure that they are knowledgeable of the emergency procedures and verify that the training is effective.

(3) Review employee activities to determine whether the procedures were effectively followed in each emergency.

(c) Each operator shall establish and maintain liaison with appropriate fire, police, and other public officials to:

(1) Learn the responsibility and resources of each government organization that may respond to a gas pipeline emergency;

(2) Acquaint the officials with the operator's ability in responding to a gas pipeline emergency;

(3) Identify the types of gas pipeline emergencies of which the operator notifies the officials; and

(4) Plan how the operator and officials can engage in mutual assistance to minimize hazards to life or property.

[Amdt. 192-24, 41 FR 13587, Mar. 31, 1976, as amended by Amdt. 192-71, 59 FR 6585, Feb. 11, 1994; Amdt. 192-112, 74 FR 63327, Dec. 3, 2009]

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