"PONTOTOC, CITY OF"
gas_distribution Incident — PONTOTOC, MS — September 9, 2019
Incident Information
| Incident Date | September 9, 2019 |
| Operator | "PONTOTOC, CITY OF" |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | PONTOTOC |
| State | MS |
| County | PONTOTOC |
| Coordinates | 34.25579, -88.97626 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | WRONG EQUIPMENT SPECIFIED OR INSTALLED |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 1 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $32,300 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON SEPTEMBER 9,2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 10 AM EMPLOYEES WERE REPAIRING A GAS LEAK BY ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL A BOLT ON LEAK CLAMP WITH A BATTERY POWERED IMPACT WRENCH WHEN GAS IGNITED. WHILE TIGHTENING THE BOLTS IGNITION OCCURRED BURNING TWO EMPLOYEES. BOTH EMPLOYEES WERE TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL; ONE EMPLOYEE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED; THE OTHER EMPLOYEE WAS ADMITTED TO A BURN CENTER OVERNIGHT. AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED ERRORS WERE MADE AND PROCEDURES WERE NOT FOLLOWED DURING THE GAS LEAK REPAIR ATTEMPT. SPECIFICALLY THE BOLT ON REPAIR CLAMP WAS THE WRONG SIZE FOR THE PIPE BEING REPAIRED ; PROCEDURES PROHIBIT THE USE OF SPARK GENERATING EQUIPMENT IN A HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE; AND EMPLOYEES WERE NOT WEARING PROPER PPE CLOTHING."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.