UGI UTILITIES, INC

Incident Narrative

ON 12/12/2022 AT 13:175, UGI RECEIVED AN EMERGENCY EXCAVATION TICKET (""TICKET"") (SERIAL # 20223461851) THROUGH THE PENNSYLVANIA ONE CALL SYSTEM, ISSUED BY AN EXCAVATOR, PRONTO PLUMBING, WITH A PROPOSED DIG DATE OF 08:00 ON 12/13/22 AT 3204 CREST ROAD, HARRISBURG (THE ""PROPERTY""). UGI RESPONDED THROUGH THE ONE CALL SYSTEM ON 12/12/22 AT 13:18 STATING: ""CONFLICT LINES NEARBY DIRECT CONTACT TO FOLLOW BY FACILITY OWNER"". THE UGI DISPATCHER MISTAKENLY ASSIGNED THE TICKET TO A CONTRACTOR THAT DOES NOT PERFORM EMERGENCY LOCATES. ON 12/13/2022 AT 9:06, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS DISPATCHED TO THE PROPERTY DUE TO A LINE HIT. AT 9:07, UGI DISPATCH RECEIVED A CALL FROM DAUPHIN COUNTY 911, REGARDING A HIT GAS LINE AT THE PROPERTY. ALSO AT 9:07, EXCAVATOR PLACED A RE-NOTIFY TICKET THROUGH THE ONE CALL SYSTEM. UGI RESPONDED TO THE RE-NOTIFY TICKET AT 9:09 STATING: ""CONFLICT LINES NEARBY DIRECT CONTACT TO FOLLOW BY FACILITY OWNER"". UGI DISPATCHED THE CLOSEST AVAILABLE QUALIFIED FIRST RESPONDER BASED ON THE CALL RECEIVED BY DISPATCH, WHO ARRIVED AT 9:25. AT 9:30, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED AT THE PROPERTY. THE LINE HIT RESULTED WHEN EXCAVATOR, WHO WAS WORKING FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER, BEGAN DIGGING WITH A BACKHOE NEAR THE FRONT WALL OF THE PROPERTY BETWEEN 8:45 AND 9:00 ON 12/13/22 TO REPAIR A BLOCKED SEWER SERVICE LINE. EXCAVATOR BEGAN DIGGING BEFORE UGI'S LOCATOR ARRIVED TO COMPLETE THE RE-NOTIFY TICKET AND BEFORE UGI WAS ABLE TO CONTACT EXCAVATOR TO DISCUSS THE FACILITY CONFLICTS. THE RESIDENTS AT THE PROPERTY WERE EVACUATED PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION. THE EXPLOSION INJURED UGI'S FIRST RESPONDER AND A RESIDENT OF AN ADJACENT HOME. BOTH INDIVIDUALS WERE TREATED AT A HOSPITAL AND RELEASED THE SAME DAY. THE SITUATION WAS MADE SAFE BY CLOSING THE MAIN LINE VALVE AT THE END OF THE STREET, SHUTTING OFF GAS TO 14 CUSTOMERS. UGI CONDUCTED A SUBSURFACE LEAK SURVEY WITH NO INDICATIONS OF A LEAK. GAS SERVICE WAS PROMPTLY RESTORED TO AFFECTED CUSTOMERS ABLE TO ACCEPT GAS SERVICE. THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING, AND INFORMATION RELATED TO PARTS B, C, D, AND G OF THE REPORT ARE STILL BEING DETERMINED. A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED WHEN MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. *ON APRIL 28, 2023 UGI IS FILING THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AND FINAL REPORT AT THE REQUEST OF PHMSA. UGI IS CONFIRMING THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IDENTIFIED IN PART G REMAINS ""EXCAVATION PRACTICES NOT SUFFICIENT"". AS STATED IN THE NARRATIVE ABOVE, UGI RECEIVED AN EMERGENCY EXCAVATION TICKET ON 12/12/2022 AT 13:17. UGI RESPONDED TO THIS REQUEST THROUGH ITS TICKET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THE SAME DAY AT 13:18 REMARKING ""CONFLICT LINES NEARBY DIRECT CONTACT TO FOLLOW BY FACILITY OWNER"". WHILE UGI AVERS THE FACILITIES WERE NOT MARKED BY THE TIME THE EXCAVATOR BEGAN DIGGING, THE EXCAVATOR WAS MADE AWARE THE DAY PRIOR OF FACILITY CONFLICTS. IN UGI'S VIEW, THE EXCAVATOR BEGAN EXCAVATION THROUGH THE USE OF MECHANICAL EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT (BACKHOE) WITHOUT EXERCISING DUE CARE, AS REQUIRED IN PENNSYLVANIA THROUGH THE 2017 UNDERGROUND UTILITY LINE PROTECTION LAW (ACT 50). THE EXCAVATOR DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO SAFELY USE MECHANICAL EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT TO EXCAVATE AT THIS LOCATION AND OTHERWISE DID NOT EMPLOY PRUDENT EXCAVATION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS HAND DUG TEST HOLES, VACUUM EXCAVATIONS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES. AS A RESULT, UGI'S SERVICE LINE WAS STRUCK, PUNCTURED, AND TORN FROM THE RISER AT THE WALL OF THE RESIDENCE DUE TO THE EXCAVATOR'S ACTIONS. INFORMATION RELATED TO PART C IS STILL BEING DETERMINED. A SUPPLEMENTAL AND FINAL REPORT WILL BE FILED WHEN THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.