There’s over a football field’s length in buried utilities for every man, woman and child in the United States, according to data compiled by the Common Ground Alliance from various industry groups. That’s over 100 billion feet of underground utilities – and one of those lines is hit every six minutes because someone didn’t call the toll free national 811 number to get lines marked. Cutting into a telecom, water, or electrical line is bad enough, but when the line struck is carrying natural gas it could be a recipe for true disaster.
That’s the reason for a mock pipeline strike drill coming up on Saturday, August 26th, at the Creek County Fairgrounds. The drill begins at noon and is open to the public. Oklahoma Pipeline Awareness Liason, Oklahoma Natural Gas, Okie811 and Enertech are presenting the program.
Attendees will have the rare opportunity of experiencing a mock gas pipeline rupture showing what happens when a gas delivery line is struck by mechanized digging equipment, and what steps need to be taken in the immediate aftermath. The mock line being hit is a pre-buried line pressurized with air by a compressor and filled with lime powder to show the force with which a product would exit a ruptured line. This event and learning experience is open and free to the public.
Oklahoma Natural Gas and Kellyville VFD will work together in a unified command to control the incident.
“Striking any kind of underground line is not something anyone wants to take lightly,” says Cole Vanderlick, project coordinator with Enertech. “Should it happen to be gas, for instance, you literally have only seconds to make decisions that could save your life. As partners in safety, pipeline companies value the unique skills and expertise of the emergency responders. Working through this scenario, we all gain hands-on experience and learn from each other in the process.”
The drill also highlights the urgent need to call 811 before digging. Every state has an 811 call center and Oklahoma’s 811 call center is Okie811. (www.okie811.org) Anyone planning to dig in Oklahoma, from homeowner to contractor to professional excavator should make the free call to 811 or 1 (800) 522-OKIE to have underground lines in their dig area marked or flagged at no cost by utilities prior to the dig.
Enertech specializes in public awareness, damage prevention and integrity management programs for natural gas distribution, gas transmission, gas gathering and hazardous liquid pipeline companies. The Saturday program is one of many being held throughout the year in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas.
Featured Image: An excavator cuts through a “natural gas line” in a mock line strike exercise earlier this year in Texas.
