BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 4 P.M. ON MAY 14, 2021, A BGE CREW MEMBER RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT BURNS FROM A FIRE WHILE INSTALLING A WELD-OVER SLEEVE OVER A GAS MAIN COUPLING ON A DEAD-END BYPASS. THE STEEL GAS MAIN BYPASS WAS LOCATED AT 8407 STEVENSON ROAD, PIKESVILLE, MARYLAND. GAS AND ELECTRIC CREWS IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO THE SCENE TO ISOLATE THE TROUBLE, MITIGATE RISKS, MAKE REPAIRS AND RESTORE SERVICE TO 216 GAS CUSTOMERS AND AREA ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS. THE GAS MAIN WAS ISOLATED BY CLOSING AN UPSTREAM VALVE. THE MAIN WAS QUICKLY REPAIRED BY CUTTING OUT THIS SECTION OF PIPE AND REPLACING WITH NEW STEEL PIPING. AFTER AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION BY THE COMPANY, IT APPEARS THAT THE DEAD-END BYPASS SECTION WAS NOT BLOCKED/BRACED PRIOR TO CUTTING THE RESTRAINING STRAPS TO PERFORM THE WELD-OVER SLEEVE WELD OPERATION. THE GAS PRESSURE FORCE CAUSED THE NON-RESTRAINING COUPLING TO GIVE WAY, WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNCONTROLLED RELEASE OF GAS WITH SUBSEQUENT IGNITION FROM THE WELDING EQUIPMENT. MITIGATING ACTIONS TO PREVENT FUTURE RECURRENCE INCLUDE ENHANCED TRAINING PERTAINING TO PROPER BLOCKING AND BRACING, AS WELL AS MODIFICATIONS TO FURTHER CLARIFY GAS CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.