COMMUNITY NATURAL GAS INC

Incident Narrative

"AROUND 11:00 AM CST 10/30/14 CONTRACTOR FOR THE OPERATOR WAS MAKING A TIE-IN FOR TWO 6"" POLY NATURAL GAS LINES. 2"" LINE COMES OFF EXISTING 6"" LINE AND FEEDS 8 HOUSEHOLDS. NEW 6"" LINE AND EXISTING 2"" LINE ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. LABORER WAS DIGGING WITH HAND TOOLS AROUND THOSE LINES AND THE BACKHOE OPERATOR WAS REMOVING DIRT ONCE IT WAS UNCOVERED. THIS AREA WAS UNCOVERED THE NIGHT BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND WAS APPROX. 20' LONG X 10' WIDE X 4' DEEP. CONTRACTOR WAS MAKING HOLE LONGER TO PERFORM A TIE IN. WHILE DIGGING OUT EXCESS DIRT, 2"" LINE WENT UP AND AT NEAR 90 DEG ANGLE. THIS IS WHERE A TOOTH FROM BACKHOE HIT THE LINE. LABORER TURNED AROUND TO CUT OFF GAS AT 2"" TAP. NATURAL GAS IGNITED BEFORE THIS COULD HAPPEN. LABORER CAUGHT ON FIRE AND SUSTAINED SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO ARMS AND FACE. NO INTERNAL DAMAGES TO LABORER. NO ONE ELSE WAS HURT. NO PERSONAL PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. 11:21 AM CST NATURAL GAS WAS SHUT OFF AND FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT OUT FIRE. STARTED SHUTTING OFF METERS IN TOWN. MADE REPAIRS TO PIPELINE AND STARTED TURNING METERS BACK ON FROM 4:45 PM TO 9:40 PM. CHANGED ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE AT LOCAL OFFICE IN DALE. TO LET CUSTOMERS KNOW WE ARE AWARE OF OUTAGE AND LEFT A CELL PHONE NUMBER TO CALL TO GET GAS TURNED BACK ON. 11 PEOPLE WENT DOOR TO DOOR TO RE-LIGHT CUSTOMERS. ONLY 8 CUSTOMERS WERE NOT ABLE TO BE TURNED BACK ON SAME NIGHT. SOME HOUSES WERE FOR SALE AND NO ONE LIVED THERE. FURTHERMORE, SOME CUSTOMERS WERE ON VACATION. NOTES WERE LEFT ON THOSE HOUSES. ALL CUSTOMERS WERE ABLE TO BE TURNED BACK ON BY 1:50 PM CST ON 10/31/14."