MOBILE GAS SERVICE CORP

Incident Narrative

ON 4/29/2010, A SUBCONTRACTOR FOR AT&T ENTERED AN AT&T MANHOLE LOCATED AT MOFFETT ROAD AND SHELTON BEACH ROAD, IN MOBILE, ALABAMA, WHILE SMOKING A CIGARETTE. IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THE AT&T SUBCONTRACTOR DID NOT FOLLOW PROPER AT&T PROCEDURES FOR AIRING OUT THE CONFINED SPACE AND EXTINGUISHING HIS CIGARETTE BEFORE ENTERING. ONCE THE SUBCONTRACTOR HAD ENTERED, A FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCE IN THE MANHOLE IGNITED AND BURNED THE SUBCONTRACTOR, REQUIRING MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT NATURAL GAS MAY HAVE MIGRATED FROM AN NEARBY LEAK AND POSSIBLY COLLECTED IN THE MANHOLE. THE 4"" CAST IRON MAIN IN THE VICINITY OF THE MANHOLE WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO A LAB FOR TESTING AND INSPECTION. THE TESTS DISCOVERED A CRACK IN THE PIPE APPROXIMATELY A HALF-BLOCK AWAY FROM THE MANHOLE. THE CRACK WAS LIKELY CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE EXTERNAL LOADING FROM PASSING VEHICLES. WHILE THE TYPE OF FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCE COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED, IT IS PRESUMED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY LEAKING NATURAL GAS FROM THE CRACK IN THE PIPE THAT HAD MIGRATED TO AND COLLECTED IN THE AT&T MANHOLE. .