SULLIVAN GAS DEPT, CITY OF

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 10TH 2022, I (FOREMAN) AND THE REST OF MY CREW WERE INSTALLING A SECTION OF NEW GAS MAIN INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF SULLIVAN IL. AFTER I COMPLETED THE WELDING AND SUCCESSFUL PRESSURE TESTING OF TWO BOLT ON VALVE FLANGE WELDS AND ONE WELD SECURING THE 2 INCH TEE TO THE PREEXISTING 37 PSI, 2 INCH GAS MAIN, ALL FOUR OF US PROCEEDED TO COMMENCE DRILLING THE MAIN TO INTRODUCE GAS TO THE NEW MAIN BY UTILIZING ONE OF OUR MUELLER E-4 MODEL DRILLING MACHINES. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE DRILLING PROCESS TECHNICIAN 1 RAISED THE SHELL CUTTER INTO THE DRILLING MACHINE CHAMBER AND THE GATE VALVE WAS CLOSED TO STOP OFF GAS FLOW FROM THE TOP OF THE TEE. THE DRILLING MACHINE WAS DISASSEMBLED FROM THE GATE VALVE AND THE SHELL CUTTER DISASSEMBLED AND THE COMPLETION PLUG INSTALLED. ONCE TECHNICIAN 1 REASSEMBLED THE MACHINE IT WAS REATTACHED TO THE TOP OF THE GATE VALVE AND THE VALVE WAS OPENED ALLOWING THE COMPLETION PLUG TO BE LOWERED INTO THE TOP OF THE TEE AND THREADED INTO IT. ONCE THE PLUG WAS THREADED INTO THE TEE AND TIGHT THE SHAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE COMPLETION PLUG AND THE MACHINE WAS REMOVED AGAIN FROM THE GATE VALVE. THE GATE VALVE WAS THEN REMOVED AND THE COMPLETION PLUG WRENCH WAS PUT INTO THE TOP OF THE COMPLETION PLUG BY TECHNICIAN 1. TECHNICIAN 1 PERFORMED ALL THE ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY OF THE MACHINE. TECHNICIAN 1 THEN TURNED THE PLUG TIGHTENING IT INTO THE TEE A 1/4 - 1/2 TURN AND THEN HANDED THE WRENCH TO TECHNICIAN 3 AND TOLD HIM TO FINISH TIGHTENING THE PLUG. TECHNICIAN 3 THEN FITTED THE WRENCH INTO THE TOP OF THE COMPLETION PLUG. HE IS RIGHT HANDED SO HE PUT HIS LEFT HAND ON TOP OF THE WRENCH TO SECURE IT AND HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE HANDLE TO TURN IT. AS SOON AS HE STARTED TO TURN THE PLUG IT BLEW OUT THE TOP. AT THE TIME THAT IT BLEW OUT I (FOREMAN) WAS SEATED ON THE EAST EDGE OF THE BELL HOLE, TECHNICIAN 2 WAS SEATED ON THE SOUTH EDGE, TECHNICIAN 3 WAS STANDING IN THE SOUTH WEST CORNER OF THE PREEXISTING AND NEW MAINS AND TECHNICIAN 1 WAS STANDING IN THE NORTH WEST CORNER OF THE PREEXISTING AND NEW MAINS. I ROLLED AWAY FROM THE EXCAVATION. I LOOKED TO MY LEFT AND SAW THAT TECHNICIAN 2 WAS CLEAR OF THE HOLE. I LOOKED RIGHT AND SAW TECHNICIAN 3 MOVING WEST IN THE DITCH AWAY FROM IT. I LOOKED RIGHT AND SAW TECHNICIAN 1 LOOKING AROUND ALL AROUND HIM I YELLED ARE YOU OK AND HE GAVE ME A THUMBS UP AND CONTINUED LOOKING AROUND HIM. I LOOKED AT TECHNICIAN 3 AND SAW HIS FACE WAS OBVIOUS SHOCK. I SAW HIM HOLDING HIS LEFT ARM AND THEN SAW HIS ARM STARTING TO BLEED. I THEN RAN AROUND THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HOLE AND GRABBED TECHNICIAN 3 AND PULLED HIM OUT OF THE DITCH AND TOOK HIM TO GET A FIRST AID KIT. AT THIS TIME I SAW HOW BAD HIS ARM WAS BLEEDING SO I KEYED UP ON THE CITY RADIO AND STATED SULLIVAN EMS SULLIVAN EMS YOU ARE NEEDED NOW AT THE H&R BLOCK BUILDING ON SOUTH HAMILTON STREET INJURED CITY EMPLOYEE WITH SHRAPNEL WOUNDS TO HIS LEFT FOREARM AND BICEP WITH SEVERE BLEEDING. I REPEATED THIS MESSAGE TWICE ON THE RADIO. I THEN TURNED TO TECHNICIAN 3 AND BEGAN MEDICAL TRIAGE. HE SAID IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS MOVING UP MY ARM! I THEN TOOK OFF MY LEATHER BELT AND TOLD HIM IM GONNA TIE OFF YOUR ARM! I USED MY BELT JUST BELOW HIS LEFT ARMPIT TO APPLY A TOURNIQUET. I WRAPPED IT TIGHT AND GAVE HIM THE LOOSE END AND TOLD HIM TO HOLD IT AND NOT LET GO UNTIL THE EMTS TOLD HIM TO. MOMENTS LATER EMTS ARRIVED AND TOOK TECHNICIAN 3 TO ST MARYS HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE IN DECATUR IL. I TURNED BACK TO TECHNICIANS 1 AND 2 AND THEY HAD ALREADY PUT THE GATE VALVE BACK ON AND SHUT DOWN THE GAS. TECHNICIAN 1 AND I PUT A NEW COMPLETION PLUG IN THE TEE AND THEN SECURED THE AREA AND WENT TO DO DRUG SCREENINGS PER HUMAN RESOURCES.