WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH NATURAL GAS SYSTEM

Incident Narrative

GAS CREW WAS INSTALLING A NEW 3/4 INCH PE SERVICE LINE WITH A PLASTIC BOLT ON SERVICE TEE ON A 4"" PE MAIN. THE SERVICE LINE BEING INSTALLED WITH AN EFV WAS CONNECTED TO THE SERVICE TEE AT THE MAIN. THE TAP CUTTER ON THE SERVICE TEE WAS SCREWED CLOCKWISE TO TAP INTO THE MAIN TO PROVIDE GAS TO THE NEW CUSTOMER. AFTER TAP WAS COMPLETED AND THE GAS HAD BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE SERVICE LINE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, THE TAP SIDE OF THE EFV, THE FITTING (NUT THAT FASTENS THE EFV TO THE TAP) BLEW OFF. THE EMPLOYEE THAT WAS INJURED JUMPED INTO THE HOLE AND ATTEMPTED TO SCREW THE TAP CUTTER BACK DOWN INTO THE MAIN TO STOP GAS FLOW. WHILE TURNING THE TAP, APPROXIMATELY 2 ROUNDS, THE GAS IGNITED. THE INDIVIDUAL JUMPED OUT OF THE HOLE AND A CREW MEMBER WENT TO A CLOSE BY MAIN LINE VALVE TO TURN OFF THE GAS FEEDING THE DAMAGED SERVICE LINE. THIS MAIN LINE VALVE SHUT OFF GAS DOWNSTREAM OF THE CLOSED VALVE. THERE WAS A WATER SERVICE LOCATED IN THE SAME EXCAVATION THAT MELTED AND THE WATER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE MAIN LINE VALVE WAS TURNED OFF ELIMINATING THE GAS FLOW.