BRENHAM UTILITY, CITY OF

Incident Narrative

THE EXCAVATOR WAS WORKING ON THE ACCESS ROAD FOR THE ENTRANCE TO THE NEW SHOPPING CENTER. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE FEBRUARY. THEY HAD NOT STARTED ON THIS SECTION UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. AFTER REMOVING AN OLD DRIVEWAY THAT EXISTED ALONG THE ROAD THEY HAD CHANGED THE GRADE OF THE AREA BY REMOVING A PORTION OF THE DIRT THAT COVERED THE 6"" MAIN. THERE HAD BEEN A LOCATE DONE FOR A FIBER CONTRACTOR THAT WAS BASICALLY ALONG THE SAME PATH OF THE ROAD CONTRACTORS WORKSITE. THE MAIN WAS FLAGGED AND MARKED CORRECTLY ALONG THE PATH. ALL THE MARKINGS WERE PRESENT WHEN BURTS CONSTRUCTION REMOVED SOME MORE MATERIAL WITH A DOZER AND THEN BROUGHT IN A RECLAIMER TO MIX THE DIRT AND ROAD BASE FOR STABILIZATION. WHEN THE MIXER STARTED TO TILL THE DIRT IT HIT THE LINE DAMAGING IT AND CAUSING AN IGNITION. THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR SHUT OFF THE MACHINE AND JUMPED OFF BUT BUT DID GET HIS RIGHT ARM BURNT TO THE POINT HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY HELICOPTER. THE RECLAIMER WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND COMPLETELY DESTROYED. WE CLOSED A VALVE OFF ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DAMAGE AND THEN DUG UP THE 6"" AND SQUEEZED IT OFF TO STOP THE FLOW OF GAS ON THE EAST SIDE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT. I CONTACTED THE RRC BY PHONE AND ALSO THE NRC. THE RRC SENT INVESTIGATORS OUT TO ACCESS THE SCENE AND INVESTIGATE IT. I CHECKED ON THE EMPLOYEE WHO WAS INJURED AND HIS SUPERVISOR SAID HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL THAT SAME NIGHT WITH SEVERE BURNS ON HIS RIGHT ARM. THE DAMAGED RECLAIMER WAS REMOVED FROM THE SPOT ON THE 25TH OF OCTOBER 2021. ON TUESDAY THE 26TH OCTOBER 2021 WE DUG UP, LOWERED AND REPAIRED THE LINE WAS DAMAGED WITH THE RRC INSPECTORS ON SITE. ON THURSDAY THE GAS DEPARTMENT EXPOSED THE GAS MAIN ALONG THE AREA IN 4 DIFFERENT SPOTS VERIFYING ITS LOCATION AND DEPTH. ALL WERE ALREADY CORRECTLY MARKED BUT THESE AREAS HAD NOT HAD DIRT REMOVED FROM THE TOP OF THEM. THE CITY OF BRENHAM GAS DEPOARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO MARK OUR FACILITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS AMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 16 PART 1 CHAPTER 18 FOR UNDERGROUND PIPELINE DAMAGE PREVENTION. WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE IN OUR PLAN REVIEW FOR DEVELOPEMENT SERVICES UNDER THE GAS DEPARTMENT COMMENTS SECTION VERBIAGE STATING THAT THE BUILDER, CONTRACTOR, DEVELOPER AND/OR EXCAVATORS THAT TAKE PART IN THESE WORK PROJECTS WILL MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE CITY OF BRENHAM AND BE AWARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTION OF EXISTING CITY UNTILITIES ON THESE SITES DURING THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT.