Purpose and legislative intent.

This law authorizes the establishment of rules and regulations covering the design, fabrication, installation, inspection, testing and safety standards for installation, operation and maintenance of gas transmission and distribution systems, including gas pipelines, gas compressor stations, gas metering and regulating stations, gas mains, and gas services up to the outlet of the customer’s meter set assembly, gas-storage equipment of the closed-pipe type fabricated or forged from pipe or fabricated from pipe and fittings, and gas-storage lines. It is intended that the requirements of such rules and regulations shall be adequate for safety under conditions normally encountered in the gas industry, but requirements for abnormal or unusual conditions or all details of engineering and construction need not be specifically provided for or prescribed. It is not intended that the rules and regulations adopted pursuant hereto be applied retroactively to existing installations so far as design, fabrication, installation, establishing operating pressure and testing are concerned. It is intended, however, that the provisions of the rules and regulations shall be applicable to the operation, maintenance and uprating of existing installations. This law, and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to it, are declared to be in the public interest and are deemed to be an exercise of the police power of the state for the protection of the public welfare and shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of that purpose.