CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO OF NEW YORK

Incident Narrative

ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 16, 2011 AT 13:25 THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT (FDNY) REPORTED AN OUTSIDE GAS ODOR TO THE GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER (GERC). THE FDNY REPORTED THE FOLLOWING, ' CONTRACTOR WORKING ON GAS LINE HAS UNCAPPED GAS LINE IN STREET AND GETTING A GAS ODOR'. THE GERC DISPATCHED GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (GDS) AND SUPERVISION. THE FDNY CALLED BACK AT 13:27 AND STATED 'THAT A CONTRACTOR HAD CUT THROUGH A GAS LINE IN THE STREET' AT THIS SAME LOCATION. A CODE MURRE (MULTIPLE RESOURCE RESPONSE EVENT) WAS INITIATED AND THE GERC DISPATCHED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. GDS RESPONDED AND REPORTED THAT A HALLEN CONTRACTOR CREW WORKING FOR MANHATTAN GAS OPERATIONS WAS ON LOCATION TO CUT, CAP AND RETIRE A 2' LOW PRESSURE STEEL GAS SERVICE AND THAT THE LEAK REPORTED BY THE FDNY WAS FOUND SECURED UPON GDS"" ARRIVAL. THE HALLEN MAINTENANCE MECHANIC REPORTED TO THE GDS SUPERVISOR THAT HIS PARTNER, A HALLEN LABORER WAS IN THE EXCAVATION INSTALLING A 2' SCREW CAP AT THE SERVICE'S MAIN CONNECTION AND HE BECAME UNCONSCIOUS. THE MAINTENANCE MECHANIC REMOVED THE LABORER FROM THE EXCAVATION AND CALLED 911. THE FDNY RESPONDED AND TRANSPORTED THE LABORER (CONSCIOUS WHEN FDNY ARRIVED) TO BELLEVUE HOSPITAL.A REVIEW OF THIS INCIDENT WAS COMPLETED AND WAS RULED PREVENTABLE. BASED ON THE INVESTIGATION THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WERE TAKEN: APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS WERE ENFORCED AGAINST THE CONTRACTOR; DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS WERE IMPOSED AGAINST THE MECHANICS; FINDINGS WERE COMMUNICATED; AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE INSTITUTED. THE NYS PSC, US DOT AND NYC DEP WERE NOTIFIED. THIS IS AN UPGRADED LEVEL INCIDENT.