HAWAI`IGAS

Incident Narrative

ON 9/23/13, A CONTRACTOR WAS DRILLING ALONG KAMEHAMEHA HIGHWAY WHEN IT STRUCK HAWAI`IGAS' (HG) 4-INCH GAS MAIN. PRIOR TO COMMENCING THE DRILLING WORK, THE CONTRACTOR CALLED THE HAWAII ONE CALL CENTER TO REQUEST THAT TONING BE DONE BY HG TO MARK THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE GAS LINE. PER THE CONTRACTOR'S ONE CALL REQUEST, HG RESPONDED AND MARKED THE LOCATION OF ITS FACILITY. USING THE TONING MARKS BY HG AND ITS OWN EQUIPMENT, CONTRACTOR ATTEMPTED TO CONFIRM THE LOCATION OF THE GAS MAIN BEFORE DRILLING. HG WAS ADVISED THAT THE CONTRACTOR ATTEMPTED TO AVOID DAMAGING OUR LINE BY DRILLING MORE THAN 30 INCHES HORIZONTALLY FROM THE PIPE LOCATION TONING MARK AND TEST BORING USING A NON-POWERED AUGER BEFORE USE OF THE POWERED DRILL RIG. THE GAS MAIN WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET DEEP WHEN THE CONTRACTOR'S POWERED DRILLING RIG HIT IT. HG DISPATCHED A CREW TO BEGIN EXCAVATING TO INSTALL LINE STOP FITTINGS. DUE TO THE PIPE'S DEPTH, HG HAD DIFFICULTY LOCATING AND EXPOSING THE DAMAGED SECTION OF THE LINE WHERE THE REPAIR WORK WOULD NEED TO BE DONE AND HALTED WORK AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF EXCAVATING. TWO PERSONNEL REMAINED ON SITE OVERNIGHT TO MONITOR THE LEAK. ON 9/24/13, A NEW LOCATION WITH IMPROVED ACCESS TO THE GAS MAIN WAS SELECTED. AT 10:00 AM, THE FEDERAL FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED SEVERAL BUILDINGS IN THE NEARBY NAVAL HOUSING AREA AS A PRECAUTION DUE TO THE DETECTION OF GAS. HG LEAK INSPECTORS PERFORMED BELOW GRADE STRUCTURE CHECKS AND DETECTED 100% GAS READINGS IN SEVERAL MANHOLES. AS A RESULT, HG SET UP BLOWERS TO VENTILATE THE MANHOLES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ITS CREW AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. BASED ON OUR INVESTIGATION, HG BELIEVES THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS THE CONTRACTOR'S INABILITY TO ACCURATELY LOCATE THE PIPE PRIOR TO COMMENCING DRILLING.