PEOPLES GAS LIGHT & COKE CO

Incident Narrative

ON FRIDAY, 08/24/2018, WHILE EXCAVATING FOR A NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING, TAYLOR EXCAVATING IGNITED A 2"" MP YELLOW PLASTIC GAS MAIN CAUSING INJURY TO 2 OF THEIR WORKERS. PGL RECEIVED NOTICE OF THE INCIDENT AT 12:39PM AND ARRIVED ON SITE AT 1:03PM. THE GAS WAS ISOLATED BY PGL CREWS AT 1:10PM. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THESE TWO WORKERS WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL. ONE OF THE WORKERS WAS RELEASED AFTER RECEIVING CARE AND THE OTHER REMAINED OVERNIGHT. THE LOCATION OF THE DAMAGED GAS MAIN IS 3' EAST OF THE WEST SIDE OF N. CAMPBELL AVE. AND IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. TAYLOR EXCAVATING HAD ONLY REQUESTED PRIVATE PROPERTY DIG TICKETS AND DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DIG IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. PGL HAD CUT OFF THE ONLY GAS SERVICE HEADING INTO THIS EXCAVATION SITE ON 04/24/2018, AND PGL NO LONGER HAD ANY LIVE GAS FACILITIES IN THE SCOPE OF TAYLOR EXCAVATING'S PROJECT. USIC HAD MADE CONTACT WITH SEVERAL WORKERS ON SITE WHILE COMPLETING THE LOCATE AND HAD CLEARED THE DIG TICKETS AS EXCAVATION SITE CLEAR. THESE TWO WORKERS, PLUS A THIRD WORKER, WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN DIGGING WITH SHOVELS AROUND A CAISSON CLOSE TO THE DAMAGED GAS MAIN. MULTIPLE TAYLOR EXCAVATING EMPLOYEES STATED THAT THEY HAD NOT SMELLED GAS AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO THE IGNITION. TAYLOR EXCAVATING STATED THEY HAD 3 EMPLOYEES DIGGING WITH SHOVELS AROUND THE CAISSON WHICH IS NEAR THE GAS MAIN WHEN THE FIRE ERUPTED. THE OWNER AND FOREMAN ON SITE STATED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL METAL SHAVINGS IN THEIR EXCAVATION AND MAYBE THEY HIT ONE OF THOSE OR THE CAISSON AND CAUSED A SPARK. THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE DIGGING AROUND THE CAISSON AND MOVING THE EARTH TOWARDS A TRENCHER THAT WAS REMOVING THE SPOIL. THE TRENCHER WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET SOUTH AND 5 FEET WEST OF THE DAMAGED GAS MAIN. OTHER WORKERS WHOM HAD SPOKEN WITH A PGL EMPLOYEE SAID THAT THE FIRE STARTED WHEN THEY STRUCK A TORCH THEY WERE GOING TO USE TO CUT THE CAISSON. IT IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN IF TAYLOR EXCAVATING DAMAGED THE GAS MAIN WITH A SHOVEL, TORCH, OR THE BUCKET ON THE TRENCHER.