PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

A PG&E GAS CREW, EXCAVATING TO CUT OFF A 3/4-INCH TEE ON TRANSMISSION LINE L-173, STRUCK THE 3/4-INCH PIPE WITH A BACKHOE. THE 3/4-INCH TEE PARTIALLY PULLED OFF OF THE 6-INCH STEEL TRANSMISSION MAIN RESULTING IN AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, PG&E HAD CALLED USA AND THE GAS FACILITIES WERE PROPERLY LOCATED AND MARKED. PG&E GAS CREW FAILED TO HAND DIG, EXPOSE AND PROPERLY PROTECT THE FACILITIES PRIOR TO USING A BACKHOE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, FATALITIES, OR IGNITION. NO MEDIA WAS PRESENT. PG&E RESPONDED BY LOWERING PRESSURE IN L-173 TO 125 PSIG AND MOBILIZED PERSONNEL TO INSTALL TWO 6-INCH PRESSURE CONTROL FITTINGS AND A 2-INCH BYPASS. NO GAS SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS WAS AFFECTED. THE DAMAGED PORTION OF THE 6-INCH TRANSMISSION MAIN WAS REPLACED. THE VOLUME OF NATURAL GAS UNINTENTIONALLY RELEASED IS ESTIMATED TO BE 1,258 THOUSAND CUBIC FEET (MCF). THE COST OF THE REPAIRS IS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $50,000. THREE PG&E EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WERE TESTED FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL; ALL THREE TESTED NEGATIVE. WHILE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT, PG&E IDENTIFIED A VIOLATION WITH REGARDS TO THE CLEARANCE EXECUTED DURING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE. ALTHOUGH ALL OPERATIONS WERE PERFORMED SAFELY AND CORRECTLY, THE INTERIM SUPERVISOR WHO SUPERVISED THE CLEARANCE WAS NOT PROPERLY QUALIFIED TO ACT AS A CLEARANCE SUPERVISOR. AS OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2014, THE INTERIM SUPERVISOR HAS UNDERGONE TRAINING AND NOW POSSESSES THE PROPER QUALIFICATIONS TO ACT AS A CLEARANCE SUPERVISOR PER PG&E UTILITY PROCEDURE TD-4100P-10, ""GAS CLEARANCE PROCEDURES FOR FACILITIES OPERATING OVER 60 PSIG.