VECTREN ENERGY DELIVERY OF OHIO

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 11, 2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 1:26 PM, AN EMPLOYEE OF PHILLIPS SAND AND GRAVEL OPERATING A BULLDOZER STRUCK VECTREN'S 16"" STEEL TRANSMISSION LINE, A-97. THE EMPLOYEE OF PHILLIPS WAS GRADING A DIRT AND GRAVEL ROADWAY ON PHILIP'S PROPERTY WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, PHILLIPS TOLD VECTREN THEY HAD BEEN GRADING THIS ROADWAY FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT VECTREN CHECKED AND THERE WERE NO REQUESTS MADE TO THE OHIO UTILITY PROTECTION SERVICE FOR A LOCATE. IN ADDITION, VECTREN ALSO CHECKED AND THERE WERE NO LOCATES REQUESTED FOR THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS. THE VECTREN TRANSMISSION LINE, OPERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 309 PSIG AT THE TIME OF THE DAMAGE, WAS MARKED BY PLASTIC LINE MARKERS WITHIN EYESIGHT OF THE INCIDENT SITE. THE LINE MARKERS STATED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WARNING GAS PIPELINE IN AREA AND PROVIDED THE 811 NUMBER. THE BULLDOZER, EQUIPPED WITH A BLADE, STRUCK THE TRANSMISSION LINE AND CAUSED A PUNCTURE / GASH THAT UNINTENTIONALLY RELEASED NATURAL GAS. A LOCATE REQUEST WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VECTREN TECHNICIAN ON SITE, DURING THE WORK, TO OBSERVE THE PROXIMITY OF THE WORK TO THE TRANSMISSION LINE AND THE DEPTH OF THE TRANSMISSION LINE. VECTREN DID NOT LEARN OF THE WORK THE EMPLOYEE OF PHILLIPS WAS PERFORMING UNTIL AFTER THE INCIDENT. VECTREN WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT, AND RESPONDING CREWS ISOLATED THE DAMAGED TRANSMISSION LINE BY OPERATING VALVES UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM AND CONTROLLING THE BLOW DOWN OF THE PIPE SEGMENT. VECTREN LOST SERVICE TO 182 CUSTOMERS. THE DAMAGED TRANSMISSION LINE WAS REPLACED BY 16.5' OF NEW 16"" STEEL PIPE. THE AFFECTED CUSTOMERS WERE THEN PUT BACK INTO SERVICE. THE EMPLOYEE OF PHILLIPS OPERATING THE BULLDOZER SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION, WAS EVALUATED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL, AND RETURNED TO PHILLIPS LATER THAT DAY.