ELIZABETHTOWN GAS CO

Incident Narrative

A CONTRACTOR DAMAGED A 6 INCH PE MAIN ON WEST JERSEY STREET NEAR UNION ST. IN ELIZABETH, NJ. DAMAGE TO THE MAIN OCCURRED WHEN A 2 INCH SERVICE TEE WAS STRUCK, PULLING IT OFF THE MAIN. CONTRACT LOCATOR'S MARKS WERE 19 INCHES FROM THE MAIN. HOWEVER, THE EXCAVATOR WAS ABLE TO HAND DIG AND LOCATE THE MAIN AS REQUIRED. THE EXCAVATOR THEN PROCEEDED TO USE A BACKHOE TO EXCAVATE A TRENCH PARALLEL TO BUT NOT ADJACENT TO THE MAIN WITHOUT FURTHER EXPOSING THE GAS PIPE. THE ROOT CAUSE WAS THE EXCAVATOR'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY PROBE FOR THE MAIN AND APPURTENANCES AS HE PROGRESSED AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL EXPOSED SECTION IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE MAIN. NEW JERSEY CODE REQUIRES PROPER CARE AND ADEQUATE SUPERVISION BE USED TO AVOID DAMAGE TO THE UNDERGROUND FACILITY AFTER LOCATING THE FACILITY BY HAND (REF. N.J.A.C.14-2-3.3). THE CLOSE PROXIMITY AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE DAMAGED FACILITY SUGGESTS NO CLOSE SUPERVISION OF THE MECHANICAL EXCAVATION WAS BEING PRACTICED ALTHOUGH THE EXCAVATOR KNEW THE EXCAVATION WAS BEING PERFORMED WITHIN INCHES OF THE GAS MAIN AND ITS LIKELY APPURTENANCES. THE TEE WAS RIPPED COMPLETELY FROM THE MAIN, INDICATING CONSIDERABLE FORCE WAS APPLIED. THE NEARBY NJ TRANSIT & AMTRAK NE CORRIDOR TRACKS WERE SHUT DOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. WEST JERSEY STREET WAS CLOSED BETWEEN CHERRY STREET AND BROAD STREET AND THE KELLOGG BUILDING OF UNION COUNTY COLLEGE WAS EVACUATED (APPROX 100 PEOPLE). NO INJURIES AND NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OTHER THAN TO GAS LINE WERE REPORTED.