Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-19.8

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 8, October 30, 2024

Rule 199-19.8 - Safety

(1)Acceptable standards. As criteria of accepted good safety practice the commission will use the applicable provisions of the standard listed in 19.5(2).

(2)Protective measures. Each utility shall exercise reasonable care to reduce hazards inherent in connection with utility service to which its employees, its customers, and the general public may be subjected and shall adopt and execute a safety program designed to protect the public, fitted to the size and type of its operations. The utility shall give reasonable assistance to the commission in the investigation of the cause of accidents and in the determination of suitable means of preventing accidents. Each utility shall maintain a summary of all reportable accidents arising from its operations.

(3)Turning on gas. Each utility upon the installation of a meter and turning on gas or the act of turning on gas alone shall take the necessary steps to assure itself that there exists no flow of gas through the meter which is a warning that the customer's piping or appliances are not safe for gas turn on (Ref: Sec. 8.2. 3 and Annex D, ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54-2018).

(4)Gas leaks. A report of a gas leak shall be considered as an emergency requiring immediate attention.

(5)Odorization. Any gas distributed to customers through gas mains or gas services or used for domestic purposes in compressor plants, which does not naturally possess a distinctive odor to the extent that its presence in the atmosphere is readily detectable at all gas concentrations of one-fifth of the lower explosive limit and above, shall have an odorant added to it to make it so detectable. Odorization is not necessary, however, for such gas as is delivered for further processing or use where the odorant would serve no useful purpose as a warning agent. Suitable tests must be made to determine whether the odor meets the standards of subrule 19.5(2). Prompt remedial action shall be taken if odorization levels do not meet the prescribed limits for detectability.

(6)Burial near electric lines. Each pipeline shall be installed with at least 12 inches of clearance from buried electrical conductors. If this clearance cannot be maintained, protection from damage or introduction of current from an electrical fault shall be provided by other means.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-19.8

ARC 7962B, lAB 7/15/09, effective 8/19/09

Amended by IAB September 14, 2016/Volume XXXIX, Number 06, effective 10/19/2016

Amended by IAB March 27, 2019/Volume XLI, Number 20, effective 5/1/2019

Editorial change: IAC Supplement 7/24/2024