PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017, AT 1215 HOURS, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED OF AN INCIDENT AT 990 RILEY STREET IN FOLSOM. AS PART OF PG&ES PIPELINE REPAIR OF THREE INDICATIONS IDENTIFIED ON DFM 0617-06 AT MILE POINT (MP) 11.77, THE CREW WELDED A SAVE A VALVE (SAV) ON THE 12-INCH STEEL TRANSMISSION PIPE. THE CREW CONNECTED THE SAV TO AN ASSEMBLY WHICH CONSISTED OF A 2-INCH DIAMETER 90 DEGREE ELBOW TO A 2-INCH DIAMETER NIPPLE, TO A 2-INCH DIAMETER 90 DEGREE ELBOW, WHICH CONNECTED TO A 4 TO 6-FEET LONG 2-INCH DIAMETER ALUMINUM STACK. IN THE PROCESS OF CLEARING THE FITTING OF METAL SHAVINGS FROM THE TAPPING PROCESS, A PORTION OF THE ASSEMBLY CAME LOOSE AND INJURED AN EMPLOYEE. THE EMPLOYEE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND IS IN STABLE CONDITION. THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT IS INCORRECT OPERATIONS. THE ROOT CAUSE THAT THERE IS NO STANDARD PROCEDURE TO REMOVE METAL SHAVINGS AND THE PROCEDURE DID NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS TEMPORARY VENT STACK CONFIGURATIONS. AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT, A SMALL GAS LEAK WAS BEING RELEASED TO ATMOSPHERE FROM THE SAV. THE FLOW OF GAS WAS STOPPED ON 3/1/17 AT 1747 HOURS. REPAIRS TO THE LEAK AND IN THE COURSE, THE THREE INDICATIONS WERE REMOVED BY REPLACING A SECTION OF PIPE, ON 3/2/17 AT 0313 HOURS. THE USE OF A BYPASS DURING THE REPAIRS RESULTED IN NO CUSTOMER IMPACT. POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT & MEDIA (FOX 40) WAS REPORTED ON-SITE. THE EVENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT (NRC# 1172063) AND CPUC DUE TO INJURY AND MEDIA PRESENCE.