Putra heights: The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has confirmed that the gas pipe involved in the Putra Heights inferno last April met all the required technical specifications.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, DOSH Petroleum Safety Division director Husdin Che Amat stated that laboratory analysis revealed the lower part of the pipe was not fully supported by the soil, which was soft and damp, exerting pressure on the pipe's surface. This condition led to repeated cyclic loading, causing stress lines and fatigue striations on the pipe, ultimately resulting in its failure and subsequent gas leak and explosion.

Husdin elaborated that metallographic analysis indicated tensile overload as the primary cause of the failure, with damage developing slowly until a ductile failure occurred, releasing gas and igniting a fire. He shared these findings at a special press conference to announce the investigation report, with Selangor Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan also in attendance.

The comprehensive investigation, conducted by DOSH in collaboration with the Department of Minerals and Geoscience (JMG), Public Works Department (JKR), Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), spanned nearly three months. It involved collecting five samples sent to SIRIM for testing from April 15 to May 8, utilizing methodologies such as on-site inspections, laboratory analysis, and computer simulations.

Findings pinpointed three critical elements: the pipeline fracture at a welded joint due to tensile stress, soft and loose soil beneath the pipe, and significant cyclic loading prior to the explosion. The unstable soil conditions failed to support the pipe's weight and pressure, leading to instability, leakage, and eventually, an explosion.

The investigation was conducted under the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022 and the Petroleum (Safety Measures) Act 1984, with no elements of sabotage or negligence found. As a preventive measure, DOSH has directed Petronas to review all high-risk segments along its extensive gas pipeline and carry out immediate remedial work, although exact locations remain undisclosed for security reasons.