PEOPLES GAS SYSTEM INC

Incident Narrative

"ROAD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR, SEMA CONSTRUCTION, STRUCK A 2"" PE MAIN WHILE MIXING THE NEW ROAD BED. CONTRACTOR INITIALLY STRUCK THE LINE GOING EAST AND PROCEEDED TO WORK AS THEY WERE UNAWARE THE LINE WAS DAMAGED. CONTRACTOR THEN REVERSED COURSE, HEADING WEST, COMPLETELY SEVERING THE LINE. THE GAS THEN IGNITED AND EQUIPMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE RESULTING IN THIRD DEGREE BURNS TO THE WORKER. THE WORKER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND SUBSEQUENTLY ADMITTED. TO MAKE REPAIRS, THE DAMAGED SECTION WAS CUT OUT AND 40' OF PRETESTED PIPE WAS FUSED IN IT'S PLACE USING A BUTT FUSION PROCESS. NOTES: 1. INPUTS FOR LENGTH AND WIDTH OF DAMAGED AREA (1 X 1) ARE INACCURATE. THE DAMAGED LINE WAS COMPLETELY SEVERED AND HAS A 1.943 INNER DIAMETER. 2. THE DEPTH OF COVER (12 INCHES) IS ESTIMATE BECAUSE THE LINE WAS PULLED UP BY THE INCIDENT AND GROUND COVER HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REMOVED DURING THE EXCAVATION MAKING THE GROUND IN THE AREA WELL BELOW GRADE. 3. DID GAS LINE EXPLODE IS ANSWERED AS NO. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE GAS LINE EXPLODED. 4. THE AMOUNT OF GAS IGNITED, 72.477, IS AN ESTIMATE BASED ON 90% OF THE ESTIMATED VOLUME OF GAS RELEASED. THE PHMSA PORTAL WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR DECIMAL ENTRIES SO A VALUE OF 72 WAS ENTERED ."