ENERGY TRANSFER COMPANY

Incident Narrative

ON TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2023, A CONTRACTOR INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE LONE STAR EXPRESS (LSX) #4 PUMP STATION. THE CONTRACTOR (KYLE ERWIN CONSTRUCTION) HAD THREE INDIVIDUALS ONSITE TO REMOVE A 24-INCH SPOOL PIECE FROM THE SUCTION SIDE OF PUMP NUMBER 4200 TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE STRAINER ON THE PUMP. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:07, TWO OF THE CONTRACTORS WERE FINISHING TORQUING PROCEDURES ON THE PUMP-SIDE FLANGE CONNECTION WHEN THE THIRD CONTRACTOR STARTED USING A CRANE TO LIFT AND REMOVE THE SPOOL PIECE. WHEN THE SPOOL PIECE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE SUCTION SIDE, NGL VAPORS VENTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND CONTACTED AN IGNITION SOURCE WHICH CAUSED A FLASH FIRE. THIS FIRE BURNED THE CONTRACTOR WHO WAS OPERATING THE CRANE, LIFTING THE SPOOL PIECE. AN ENERGY TRANSFER (ET) EMPLOYEE RAN TO THE SITE AND USED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, THEN ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS PICKED UP THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND SPRAYED THE PIPE TO ENSURE THE FIRE WAS OUT. THE ROOT CAUSE IS THE ELECTRIC-OVER-HYDRAULIC TORQUING EQUIPMENT (ALLTITE BRAND) BROUGHT TO THE SITE FOR THE WORK BY THE CONTRACTOR WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR USE IN FLAMMABLE ATMOSPHERES. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF THE ELECTRIC-OVER-HYDRAULIC TORQUING EQUIPMENT IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS THE IGNITION SOURCE FOR THE FLASH FIRE. DURING THE WORK PERMIT AND JSA PROCESS, ALL IGNITION SOURCES WERE NOT PROPERLY IDENTIFIED (E.G., THE ELECTRIC-OVER-HYDRAULIC TORQUING EQUIPMENT) AND SO A PLAN WAS NOT DEVELOPED TO ELIMINATE SUCH IGNITION SOURCES BEFORE PERFORMING WORK, INCLUDING THE LIFTING OF THE SPOOL PIECE WHICH INTRODUCED THE FLAMMABLE VAPORS.