Desarrollo e implementación de metodología analítica

The pilot study was designed to collect accident damage information that was volunteered by bulk package owners; however, despite extensive efforts to reach out to multiple individuals, the level of participation was unsatisfactory. Therefore, the project team has employed alternative methodologies to generate pilot study data and populate the database. Accident reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) along with information gathered from multiple sources including PHMSA HMIRS reports, FMCSA MCMIS reports, and news articles were used.

5.3.1 Pilot Study Reports Using Information from NTSB Investigated Accidents

Reports from several accidents investigated by NTSB contain some information concerning the bulk packages involved. Specifically, commodity information and basic accident information is captured but the reports do not contain release quantity or design information. Detailed damage information, if not included in the report text, was described based on a manual review of photographs included in the reports.

The reports included in the pilot study are:

 Highway Accident Report, Largo, Maryland – September 6, 1985.

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 NTSB Report – Collision of Tractor/Cargo Tank Semitrailer and Passenger Vehicle and Subsequent Fire, Yonkers, New York – October 9, 1997.

 Overturn of a Tractor-Semitrailer (Cargo Tank) with the Release of Automotive Gasoline and Fire, Carmichael, California – Feb 13, 1991.

 Rollover of a Truck-Tractor and Cargo Tank Semitrailer Carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Subsequent Fire, Indianapolis, Indiana, October 22, 2009.  Propane Truck Collision with Bridge Column and Fire, White Plains, New York

– July 27, 1994.

5.3.2 Pilot Study Reports Using Information from Multiple Sources

Information from multiple sources was used to develop reports of sampled accidents occurring between March and October 2011. Selected accidents were reported to PHMSA, and photographs of the extent of damage to the bulk packages were collected through news articles. Additionally, FMCSA reports were used to supplement basic accident information.

Between March and October 2011, a total of 68 accidents reported to PHMSA were also found in news articles (links to the news articles are included in Appendix F). Photos and other footage of the bulk package involved in the accident vary with respect to how well they illustrate damage to the bulk package. Therefore, not all damage to the bulk package could be determined using the photos and descriptions gathered. In general, only the most severe damage type was identified in descriptions of the accident. Additionally, in several instances, the approximate location of the damage or breach was estimated based on the final position of the bulk package. Some accident reports provided insufficient information from which to generate a pilot study report. In all, 44 reports were generated from a

combination of PHMSA HMIRS, news articles, and FMCSA MCMIS information.

However, these reports typically do not contain compartment-specific information with the exception of bulk packages that consist of only one compartment. Therefore, compartment- specific design and release information was not included in the pilot study report.

5.3.3 Improvements to the Pilot Data Collection Tool

Through the collection of accident reports, the following improvements to the pilot data collection tool were identified:

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 Enable use of browser navigational tools such that the data entered by a user is “saved” if they accidently use the browser’s “back,” “forward” or “refresh” buttons.

 Include "Quenched and Tempered Steel" as an option in the general material type.

 Adjust thickness ranges to include up to 0.5 inches for all material types.

 Include a mechanism that automatically fills in responses if the design parameters are the same for all compartments within the cargo tank.

 Enable the commodity fields to be automatically filled in once sufficient information is gathered in one field (i.e., if the commodity’s hazardous material identification number is filled in, the hazardous class and division number and packaging group should automatically populate to the appropriate fields).  Dynamically list relevant bulk package components within the area impacted.

This will simplify reporting and increase the accuracy of the reports.  Enable more than one type of damage to be selected for each component.  Include fire as a damage type. Vehicles involved in accidents can also be

exposed to fire, which may cause the temperature in the immediate vicinity of the bulk package to increase beyond the melting point of bulk package components. Should a vehicle fire be sufficiently hot, bulk packaging may melt and result in a release although it may have escaped damage in the initial accident.

 Utilize FMCSA’s accident event descriptions together with an event order. This would eliminate the need for indicating whether the bulk package struck or was struck by an object and replace the identification of the object

impacting/impacted by the bulk package. Event ID’s provided in FMCSA correspond to the following types of events:

– Non-collision, ran off road. – Non-collision, jackknife.

– Non-collision, overturn (rollover). – Non-collision, downhill runaway. – Non-collision, cargo loss or shift. – Non-collision, explosion or fire.

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– Non-collision, separation of units. – Non-collision, cross median/centerline.

– Non-collision, equipment failure (brake failure, blown tires, etc.). – Non-collision, other.

– Non-collision, unknown. – Collision involving pedestrian.

– Collision involving motor vehicle in transport. – Collision involving parked motor vehicle. – Collision involving train.

– Collision involving pedalcycle. – Collision involving animal. – Collision involving fixed object.

– Collision with work zone maintenance equipment. – Collision with other moveable object.

– Collision with an unknown moveable object. – Other.

 Include the angle of collision if involved in a collision with a moveable object.