Chapter 09. Safety
Regulation .01 Protective Measures.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Exercise Reasonable Care. Each utility or gas master meter operator shall exercise reasonable care to reduce the hazards to which its employees, its customers, its contractors, and the general public may be subjected.
B.
Investigation by Commission. The utility or gas master meter operator 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.
C.
Record of Accidents. Each utility or gas master meter operator shall maintain a summary of all reportable accidents arising from its operations or from contractor operations.
Regulation .02 Safety Program.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Adopt Safety Program. Each utility, including its contractors, shall adopt and execute a safety program, fitted to the size and type of its operations.
B.
Use Suitable Tools and Equipment. Each utility or gas master meter operator may require its employees and contractors to use suitable tools and equipment in order that they may perform their work in a safe manner.
C.
Promote Safe Work Methods. Each utility or gas master meter operator may instruct its employees and contractors in safe methods of performing their work.
D.
Instruct In Artificial Respiration. Each utility should instruct its employees and contractors who, in the course of their work, are subject to the hazard of electric shock, asphyxiation, or drowning, in accepted methods of artificial respiration.
Regulation .03 Customer Piping.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Before permitting the use of gas at any location, the piping shall be tested for tightness and leaks in accordance with Part 4 of the American National Standard “National Fuel Gas Code”, ANSI Z223.1 (1988), which is incorporated by reference under COMAR 20.55.02.02.
B.
Pressure Test. Before any system of gas piping is finally put in service, it shall be tested for tightness and certified by the proper inspection authority that the test has been made.
C.
Leakage Test. Before turning gas into any piping, it shall be tested for leaks.
Regulation .04 Gas Leaks.LinkCopy Citation
Each utility or gas master meter operator shall respond promptly to all reports of gas leaks. The response shall include investigating the reports of gas leaks in accordance with COMAR 20.55.02.02B(1).
Regulation .05 Gas Leakage Surveys.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Procedures and Methods. Each utility or gas master meter operator shall establish procedures for making periodic gas leakage surveys as specified in these regulations. For residential customers with meters located outdoors, leakage surveys shall be performed up to the building entry. The leakage surveys shall be conducted by one or more of the following methods:
(1)
Flame ionization;
(2)
Combustible gas indicator and bar hole;
(3)
Optical methane detector; or
(4)
Other method approved by the Commission.
B.
Frequency of Surveys.
(1)
Leakage detection surveys shall be made at frequencies that comply with 49 CFR §§192.706 and 192.723, as amended, which are incorporated by reference, and the requirements of §B(2) and (3) of this regulation.
(2)
Places of Public Assembly. Service lines to places of public assembly shall be leakage surveyed at least once each calendar year, but with intervals not exceeding 15 months. The customer shall cooperate with the company in the conduct of these tests as regards accessibility to meters and service lines.
(3)
Cast iron, ductile iron, and cathodically unprotected steel pipelines shall be leak surveyed at least once every 3 years. Except as provided in §B(1) of this regulation, segments of these pipelines located inside a building shall be leak surveyed at least once every 5 years.
C.
Field Operations.
(1)
After a leak repair, a leakage survey shall be performed in accordance with COMAR 20.55.02.02B(1).
(2)
When a utility service person enters a customer's premises for the purpose of inspecting or servicing any gas equipment (excluding meter reading), a leakage survey shall be conducted at appropriate locations, including atmosphere samples, and at all utility service entrances. In multiple-occupancy buildings, an individual apartment or dwelling unit shall constitute the customer's premises specified above. The customer shall cooperate with the company in the conduct of the tests as regards accessibility to meters and service lines.
(3)
Leakage surveys shall be conducted on each new or replaced service line before being placed in service but after backfilling and after a reasonable period of gas pressurizing.
D.
Leaks Without Presence of Odorant. A review system shall be established to continuously analyze and monitor the results of all leakage surveys specified in these regulations to determine any areas where leaks were detected without presence of odorant. Any areas so determined shall be leakage surveyed immediately to determine the possible extent of the area, and shall then be leakage surveyed at least annually as long as the condition of odorant absorption exists.
E.
Leak Repairs. Leaks located by leakage surveys shall be investigated promptly and corrective action initiated.
F.
Records of Surveys.
(1)
Each utility or gas master meter operator shall maintain a record of each leak survey showing by location and date:
(a)
Leaks detected;
(b)
Severity of each leak; and
(c)
Action taken to repair leaks.
(2)
These records are to be kept as long as the segment of pipeline involved remains in service.
Regulation .06 Odorization.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Distinctive Odor Required. The odorant level throughout the entire company distribution system shall be sufficient so that gas is detectable at 1/10 of the lower explosive limit.
B.
Tests. A system to monitor the odorant level within the distribution system shall be installed and maintained to insure the requirements of §A of this regulation.
C.
Odorant Injection. On-site odorant injection or other recognized protection means shall be provided to prevent odor fading wherever necessary when new steel mains are installed, to insure the requirements of §A of this regulation.
Regulation .07 Pipeline Location.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Burial. All pipelines shall be buried a minimum of 24 inches, or 18 inches in solid rock, where the term solid rock indicates the necessity for blasting or the use of pneumatic equipment.
B.
Exceptions. Burial depths less than that specified but not less than 12 inches will be allowed if underground obstructions preclude those depths, if special line protection as accepted by the Commission is provided. The above requirements shall be applicable to existing pipelines within a reasonable period of time upon discovery of burial depth 12 inches or less, or of burial depths less than specified and deemed to be hazardous.
C.
Identification.
(1)
Tracer wire shall be installed with all plastic pipe.
(2)
When the open trenching method of pipeline construction is used, suitable identification tape shall be installed at a minimum of 12 inches above the top of the pipe.
D.
Location of Residential Service Lines and Meters.
(1)
Residential customer meters shall be placed as close to the exterior building wall as possible.
(2)
Gas service may not be provided to new or renewed service lines if there is any underground pipeline after the meter, unless the pipeline carries gas only to gas utilization equipment located outdoors.
(3)
If it is not possible to comply with §D(2) of this regulation, written permission shall be obtained from the Commission before placing the meter.
(4)
If a residential service line is replaced, the new service line shall be installed as provided in §D(1)—(3) of this regulation.
Regulation .08 Increasing Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure.LinkCopy Citation
A utility or gas master meter operator may not increase the maximum allowable operating pressure of a pipeline until it has submitted to the Engineering Division a copy of the written procedure required by 49 CFR §192.553(c), as amended, which is incorporated by reference.
Chapter annotations
Authority: State Government Article, §7-207(a); Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, and 5-101; Annotated Code of Maryland
History: Effective date: July 1, 1964 (Order No. 55567)
History: Chapter revised effective October 21, 1974 (Order No. 60922)
History: Regulation .01 amended effective January 15, 1996 (23:1 Md. R. 35)
History: Regulation .02 amended effective February 7, 2000 (27:2 Md. R. 146)
History: Regulation .02E adopted effective December 25, 1989 (16:25 Md. R. 2715)
History: Regulation .03A amended effective December 25, 1989 (16:25 Md. R. 2715)
History: Regulation .04 amended effective February 7, 2000 (27:2 Md. R. 146)
History: Regulation .05A amended effective February 7, 2000 (27:2 Md. R. 146)
History: Regulation .05A, F amended effective January 15, 1996 (23:1 Md. R. 35)
History: Regulation. 05B amended effective October 23, 1975 (Order No. 61510); January 23, 1981 (8:2 Md. R. 117); April 10, 1995 (22:7 Md. R. 538); March 26, 2007 (34:6 Md. R. 629)
History: Regulation .07C amended effective March 19, 1990 (17:5 Md. R. 639)
History: Regulation .07D adopted effective April 10, 1995 (22:7 Md. R. 538)
History: Regulation .07D amended effective December 29, 1997 (24:26 Md. R. 1760)
History: Regulation .08 adopted effective December 29, 1997 (24:26 Md. R. 1760)
History: Regulation .08 amended effective March 26, 2007 (34:6 Md. R. 629)