COLUMBIA GAS OF OHIO INC

Incident Narrative

A TWO PERSON REPAIR CREW WAS REPAIRING A LEAK ON A 4"" WROUGHT IRON MAIN LINE IN AN OPEN EXCAVATION. A WATER PUMP WAS BEING USED TO REMOVE EXCESS WATER WHILE THE CREW BEGAN REMOVING SCALE OFF THE STEEL MAIN LINE WITH A PNEUMATIC SCALER TO INSTALL A LEAK CLAMP WHEN THE NATURAL GAS PRESENT IN THE EXCAVATION IGNITED. ONLY ONE INDIVIDUAL WAS IN THE OPEN EXCAVATION AT THE TIME OF THE IGNITION. THE FIRE WAS IMMEDIATELY EXTINGUISHED BY THE SECOND CREW MEMBER. THE CREW MEMBER SUBJECTED TO THE IGNITION IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE EXCAVATION. HE THEN REMOVED HIS NOMEX HOOD AND OTHER FIRE RESISTANT CLOTHING AND SAFETY APPAREL. HE WAS GIVEN FIRST AID AND 911 WAS CALLED. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF INCIDENT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED AND CAN NOT ASCERTAIN THE CAUSE WITH ANY REASONALBLE DEGREE OF CERTAINTY. COLUMBIA GAS OF OHIO'S THIRD PARTY CAUSE AND ORIGIN INVESTIGATORS WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE WERE TWO POTENTIAL SOURCES OF IGNITION IN THE EXCAVATION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT; A PNEUMATIC SCALER AND AN ELECTRIC WATER PUMP. THE DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP'S WIRING AND PROTECTIVE BOOT ALLOWED ARCING WHICH IS LIKELY THE IGNITION SOURCE OF THIS INCIDENT. THERE IS PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS THE CONDITION OF THE PROTECTIVE BOOT WAS COMPROMISED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR RECURRENCE COLUMBIA GAS OF OHIO INC. HAS PROHIBITED THE USE OF THESE WATER PUMPS BY ALL REPAIR CREWS AND IS ACTIVELY SEEKING A REPLACEMENT WATER PUMP WHICH IS NOT ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE INCIDENT WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE SCALER, COLUMBIA IS ALSO ISSUING A SAFETY BULLETIN TO OUR MAINTENANCE CREWS ADVISING THEM TO ENSURE A COBALT PISTONS ARE BEING UTILIZED. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS COLUMBIA'S FINAL REPORT ON THIS INCIDENT.