Comments on: The Travails of National Grid (Part 37)

By: Rochenko

Rochenko — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:45:12 +0000

There\’s a piece on this in the Guardian today by John Harris, which concentrates on the apparent inadequacy of the methods for dealing with risk both at the Milford Haven LNG terminal and in the construction of the pipe itself. In neither case are we talking about infrastructure that\’s a long way from a populated area – same with the AGIs. In Gloucestershire, the AGI there is probably going to be about 500m from the nearest house. Given that NG have admitted more than once that they have no experience of/operational data for managing a pipeline of this size/pressurised to 94 bar, we\’re dealing with a to some degree unquantifiable risk.

By: Jim Bliss

Jim Bliss — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:06:51 +0000

During the 90s I project-managed a number of large engineering projects and was involved in three industrial accidents (I hasten to point out that only the first of those was in any way my fault… and as I was the only person injured in that one — severed the top of my finger — I thankfully don’t have any guilt to carry around).

The other two of those accidents involved high-pressure pipework, and when I read of a 1.2 metre pipe carrying a highly flammable gas being pressurised to 94 bar… well, it makes me want to go door-to-door in South Wales and tell everyone to move somewhere else.

I was present when a 40mm compressed air pipe fractured at 24 bar and a foot-long piece of stainless-steel pipe buried itself 6 inches into a concrete wall less than a foot from my head. I also saw another smaller piece pass right through a guy’s neck (he didn’t survive).

It seems like a strange thing to say, but the destructive power of compressed gasses (even air!) is awesome to behold. There’s every chance that this proposed gas pipeline and sundry compressors would never suffer a major failure. But heaven-forbid there is an industrial accident, I can confidently predict there’ll be massive destruction and — unless it occurs a long way from a populated area — a lot of dead people.

By: Rochenko

Rochenko — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:15:22 +0000

Quite safe, no need to worry. All down to the wonders of Sitemeter, old chap.

By: Allistair

Allistair — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:31:59 +0000

I hope the National Grid employee who dropped by 15 minutes ago (12.41pm, 25 April) found what they were looking for.

How do you know this? It all sounds like an industrial 007 scenario to me.

You’re not likely to be kidnapped before the big event are you? thereafter, being ransomed by some enraged minor National Grid executive, having already reasoned that his career and bonus interests are the nations interests, and that your interest and the interests of local people and the law are somehow not so interesting afterall.

The private sector, their sanctimony, hubris, and idiocy know no limits. Lord help us all.

I await your next posting with interest, as proof that this has been avoided.