SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS CO

Incident Narrative

"AT APPROXIMATELY 12:43 AM ON AUGUST 16TH, 2013 AMES CONSTRUCTION WAS PERFORMING WORK FOR CAL TRANS ON A FREEWAY WIDENING PROJECT NEAR THE ADDRESS OF 387 LA CADENA DR IN RIVERSIDE ADJACENT TO INTERSTATE 215 SOUTH. AMES EMPLOYEES WERE EXCAVATING WITH A TRACKHOE WHEN THE END OF A 6' MEDIUM PRESSURE STEEL MAIN WAS SNAGGED IN A SCOOP OF THE TRACKHOE'S BUCKET. AS THE OPERATOR RAISED THE BUCKET AND TWISTED THE TRACKHOE 180 DEGREES, THE 6' MAIN WAS LIFTED, WITH THE SOIL IN THE BUCKET, UP AND AWAY IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. A LATERAL 6' MAIN TIED TO THIS MAIN CONTAINED A COMPRESSION INSULATING COUPLING APPROXIMATELY 3' WEST OF THE SNAGGED MAIN. AS THE PIPE WAS PULLED UP AND AWAY THE LATERAL WAS PULLED FROM THE COMPRESSION COUPLING RESULTING IN A 6' FULLY OPEN ORIFICE BLOWING GAS AND DEBRIS ONTO THE SOUTHBOUND I 215 FREEWAY, WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SHUT DOWN BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT WITHIN THE PRESSURE DISTRICT, THE CLOSURE OF THE FREEWAY AND SIGNIFICANT LOSS IN PRESSURE WITHIN THE PRESSURE DISTRICT, GAS WAS CONTROLLED BY SHUTTING IN THE REGULATOR STATION TO THE DISTRICT. THIS SHUT IN RESULTED IN LOSS OF SERVICE TO OVER 4,000 CUSTOMERS. INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A VALID USA TICKET FOR THE PROJECT AND THAT THE FACILITIES WERE PROPERLY MARKED. ASPHALT HAD BEEN REMOVED BY AMES AND EXISTENCE OF MARKS WERE THEREBY OBLITERATED."