Guest Blogger: Deputy Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator and former fire chief Tim Butters
Fire
Prevention Week was established to commemorate the devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people.
Since its first observance in 1922, the slogan for Fire
Prevention Week has taken many shapes – from the straightforward “Help
Prevent Fires” (1937); to “YOU Caused 1,700,000 Fires Last Year!”
(1947); and this year’s “Have 2 Ways Out!” This week, PHMSA
reminds you of another important safety message: “Call 811:
Know What’s Below Before You Dig.”
According to the
National Fire Protection Association,
Fire Prevention Week slogans have evolved over the last 90
years, but the message has always been about education, prevention and
safety. Most fires are preventable, and it is up to
every one of us to keep our families and homes safe.
As a firefighter and former fire chief, I’ve seen
firsthand how devastating fires can be. And in my role at PHMSA, I’ve
also seen the devastation caused by excavation damage to pipelines.
Sometimes these pipeline accidents result in fires,
but they almost always put people and the environment at great risk and
can come at a great cost both in terms of property disruption and
dollars.
So in honor of Fire Prevention Week, I would like to remind you of another important safety message from PHMSA: “Call 811: Know What’s Below Before You Dig.” I encourage everyone,
including emergency responders, excavators and backyard gardeners to
remember this:
digging is the
number one cause of pipeline damage that results in a fatality or injury or property/environmental damage.
Most people don’t realize that there are more than 2.6 million miles of
pipeline in
our nation, and the odds are good that some are in or near your yard,
not to mention utilities such as cable, water, gas, and electrical lines.
While pipelines are the safest way to
transport natural gas and hazardous liquids, they aren’t
impervious to outside forces.
PHMSA Deputy Administrator Butters speaks to the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
The bottom line is that, like fires, most
pipeline incidents can be prevented.
By calling 811 48 hours before digging, a utility technician will
come out and mark the locations of pipelines and utility lines you
should avoid--all at no cost to you.
We have the tools and the know-how to help extinguish
fires and fix pipeline leaks, but we would much rather prevent them from
occurring in the first place. This week, make sure you have working
smoke detectors and develop a fire evacuation plan
at home and at the office. But also tell your friends and neighbors to always
call 811 before digging and
learn more about pipeline safety.
Stay safe and remember: have 2 ways out and always know what’s below by calling 811 before you dig.
PHMSA
develops and enforces regulations for the safe, reliable and
environmentally sound operation of the nation's 2.6 million mile
pipeline transportation system and the nearly 1 million daily shipments
of hazardous materials by land, sea, and air.