FLORIDA CITY GAS

Incident Narrative

ON 7/24/19 AT APPROXIMATELY 17:26 FLORIDA CITY GAS WAS NOTIFIED OF A RUPTURED GAS MAIN AT 756 E PRIMA VISTA BLVD, PORT ST LUCIE, FL. FLORIDA CITY GAS FIRST RESPONDER WAS DISPATCHED AT 17:29 AND ARRIVED ON SITE AT 18:09. UPON ARRIVAL REPORTED BLOWING GAS CONDITION DUE TO DIRECTIONAL BORE MACHINE. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES OR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT OR DURING THE RESPONSE TO THIS INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT SITE WAS MADE SAFE AT APPROXIMATELY 23:30 ON JULY 25, 2019. THE PORT ST LUCIE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND MEDIA OUTLETS WERE ON LOCATION. A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR WAS EXCAVATING WITH DIRECTIONAL BORING MACHINE WHEN IT HIT THE 4-INCH GAS MAIN. EXCAVATOR STATED THAT THE 4-INCH GAS MAIN WAS SPOTTED PRIOR TO EXCAVATION BEGAN; HOWEVER, THE SOFT DIG TOOK PLACE APPROX. 10 FT NORTH OF THE CROSSING POINT. EXCAVATOR FURTHER STATED THE DEPTH OF GAS MAIN AT THE POINT OF CONFLICT WAS ASSUMED TO BE THE SAME DEPTH AS WHERE THE SPOT DIG TOOK PLACE. THE RUPTURE WAS ISOLATED BY SQUEEZING OFF THE 4-INCH GAS MAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 23:30, 7/25/19, AS A RESULT GAS SERVICE TO 27 ACTIVE CUSTOMERS WAS INTERRUPTED. THE DEPTH OF DAMAGED SECTION OF THE 4-INCH GAS MAIN WAS APPROXIMATELY 9FT, WHICH WAS DAMAGED BY A DIRECTIONAL DRILL DURING PULLBACK. THE DAMAGED SECTION WAS REPLACED WITH PRESSURE TESTED SECTION OF 4-INCH PE AND SERVICES WERE RELIT SUBSEQUENTLY. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE FAILURE OF THE EXCAVATOR TO COMPLY WITH F.S 556.105.5(C): EXCAVATOR DID NOT SPOT DIG THE UNDERGROUND UTILITY BEFORE USING MECHANIZED EQUIPMENT WITHIN THE TOLERANCE ZONE OF THE MARKED UTILITY AND AT THE POINT OF CROSSING.