WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 6, 2021, AN ODOR WAS REPORTED TO THE WASHINGTON GAS EMERGENCY LINE ON HOOES ROAD IN SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA AND A TECHNICIAN WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SITE. THE LEAK WAS INVESTIGATED, GRADED AND ASPIRATED. A BGO CREW WAS DISPATCHED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CREW EXCAVATED THE HOLE AND FOUND A SMALL LEAK ON A BUTT FUSION BEAD ON A 1988 ALDYL-A 6"" PLASTIC MAIN, OPERATING AT 55 PSIG. CONSISTENT WITH COMPANY PROCEDURE, THE CREW INSTALLED A TEMPORARY STRAUB OPEN-FLEX CLAMP, VERIFIED THAT THE SITE WAS SAFE, AND REFERRED THE REPAIR FOR A CUT-OUT. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2021, TWO WASHINGTON GAS CREWS WERE DISPATCHED TO 8530 HOOES RD TO COMPLETE THE PERMANENT REPAIR BY REPLACING THE PIPE SEGMENT CONTAINING THE CLAMP. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:22, DURING THE PROCESS OF SLIDING THE CLAMP, LEAKING GAS IGNITED. ALL EMPLOYEES THAT WERE TRANSPORTED HAVE SINCE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. FINAL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. WASHINGTON GAS PERFORMED LABORATORY TESTING ON THE FAILED SEGMENT OF PIPE. THE TESTING FOUND THE INITIAL LEAK HAD BEEN CAUSED BY A FAILED 1988 BUTT FUSION JOINT THAT EXHIBITED INADEQUATE FUSION. BY THE VISUAL EVALUATION CRITERIA IN PLACE AT THE TIME THIS GAS MAIN WAS INSTALLED, THE BUTT FUSION WOULD HAVE BEEN DEEMED ACCEPTABLE. HOWEVER, THE SUBJECT BUTT FUSION WAS LIKELY NOT INITIALLY MADE WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE APPLIED TO THE HEATED PIPE ENDS TO CREATE A FULL STRENGTH FUSION. ADDITIONAL: PART E 3.B DATE MAOP ESTABLISHED: 12/28/1988 INSTALLED WAS COMPLETED BEFORE 12/28/1988, EXACT DATE OF PRESSURE TEST UNKNOWN