METROPOLITAN UTILITIES DISTRICT

Incident Narrative

ON 4/5/12 AT 1335 HRS AT N SKYLINE DR & BRITTNAY CIR IN DOUGLAS COUNTY NEBRASKA THE METROPOLITAN UTILITIES DISTRICT HAD EMPLOYEES INSTALLING STOPPLE/CONTROL FITTINGS ON A NEWLY AQUIRED 4"" STEEL GAS MAIN WHEN THE COMPLETION PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE STOPPLE/CONTROL FITTING AND CAUSED STEEL SHRAPNEL TO BE EMBEDDED IN THE FACES OF THREE EMPLOYEES. TWO OF THE EMPLOYEES WERE TREATED AT THE SCENE AND RELEASED, THE THIRD EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO THE CREIGHTON MEDICAL CENTER IN OMAHA NEBRASKA WHERE HE WAS KEPT OVER NIGHT FOR OBSERVATION. THE EMPLOYEE WHO WAS HOSPITALIZED WAS RELEASED ON 4/6/12 BY CREIGHTON MEDICAL CENTER. 6/17/13- WE ARE UNABLE TO SAY WITH CERTANTY TO WHAT REALLY HAPPENED ON 4/5/12. THE FITTING AND COMPLETION PLUG ARE BOTH RELATIVELY UNDAMGED AND STILL FIT TOGETHER WITH EASE. THE EMPLOYEES INVOLVED BELIEVE THAT THE TAP AND STOP WERE MADE PROPERLY, A POSSIBLE THEORY IS THE PLUG WAS SLIGHTLY ENGAGED INTO THE FITTING AT THE TIME THE SLIDE VALVE WAS REMOVED, THE OPERATING OF THE SLIDE VALVE WAS ENOUGH TO JAR THE COMPLETION PLUG LOOSE. ALL OF THE TEST RESULTS FAILED TO INDICATE WHAT MAY HAVE OR ACTUALLY HAPPENED. THE METROPLITAN UTILITES DISTRICT HAS COMPLETED ALL INVESTIGATIONS IN REGARD TO THIS INCIDENT.