NORTHERN INDIANA PUBLIC SERVICE CO
gas_distribution Incident — CHESTERTON, IN — July 19, 2022
Incident Information
| Incident Date | July 19, 2022 |
| Operator | NORTHERN INDIANA PUBLIC SERVICE CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | CHESTERTON |
| State | IN |
| County | PORTER |
| Coordinates | 41.60902, -87.05628 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | EQUIPMENT NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 1 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THE SERVICE TEE, WHICH WAS INSTALLED IN 1928, WERE NOT PRESENT. WHEN THE CAP ON THE TEE WAS REMOVED TO ACCESS THE COMPONENTS THAT WOULD SHUT OFF THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE SERVICE, THE GAS ESCAPED UNEXPECTEDLY AND CUT THE EMPLOYEES LEATHER-GLOVED HAND. THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVED A SMALL LACERATION, BUT WAS CONCERNED IT MAY HAVE HAD GAS BLOWN INTO THE LACERATION UNDER THE SKIN. PER OUR PROCEDURES, THE EMPLOYEE WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO HAVE THE INJURY LOOKED AT. THERE WAS NO DOCTOR PRESENT, SO HE WAS ADMITTED BASED ON THE ADMITTING NURSES RECOMMENDATION. THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVED BASIC FIRST AID, BUT WAS NOT SEEN BY A DOCTOR FOR 33HRS. UPON SEEING THE PHYSICIAN, IT WAS INDICATED THERE WAS NO EXPOSURE AND THAT THE EMPLOYEE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ADMITTED. THE EMPLOYEE WAS RELEASED AND RETURNED TO WORK THE FOLLOWING DAY. THIS IS THE FINAL REPORT."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.