CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

ON FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:46 A CONSUMERS ENERGY GAS SERVICE WORKER ARRIVED AT 58 BOBOLINK STREET, ROCHESTER HILLS, MI TO PERFORM A ROUTINE METER EXCHANGE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE EXISTING METER USING WRENCHING TOOLS, THE GSW HEARD HISSING AND NOTICED THE RISER HAD BEEN COMPROMISED AND GAS WAS ESCAPING. THE EMPLOYEE RETURNED TO HIS VEHICLE AND NOTIFIED GAS DISPATCH A DISTRIBUTION CREW WAS NEEDED. HE ALSO NOTIFIED HIS FIELD LEADER. UPON RETURN TO THE METER LOCATION THE GSW OBSERVED FIRE AT THE RESIDENCE. HE IMMEDIATELY EVACUATED THE RESIDENTS FROM A NEIGHBORING HOME AND ADVISED DISPATCH THE ESCAPING GAS HAD IGNITED AND FIRE PERSONNEL WAS NEEDED ONSITE. THE GAS DISTRIBUTION CREW ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 15:31, EXCAVATED A REMOTE HOLE NEAR THE DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE AND SQUEEZED THE 1/2"" STEEL SERVICE LINE STOPPING THE BLOWING GAS AT APPROXIMATELY 16:25. A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS TEAM HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED TO INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE, IDENTIFY A ROOT CAUSE(S) AND DEVELOP COUNTERMEASURE(S) TO MINIMIZE RE-OCCURRENCE. THE INVESTIGATION WAS COMPLETED AND THE ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CORROSIVE CONDITION OF THE METER AND THE EMPLOYEE'S FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE METER CONDITION AND TAKE ADEQUATE PRECAUTIONS TO ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A GAS RELEASE. COUNTERMEASURES TO MINIMIZE FUTURE OCCURRENCE INCLUDE A GAS SERVICE MANUAL REVISION REQUIRING EMPLOYEES TO INSPECT THE RISER CONDITION BEFORE REPLACING THE GAS METER AND ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN WHEN ATMOSPHERIC CORROSION IS IDENTIFIED TO AVOID DAMAGE THAT MAY RESULT IN A RELEASE OF GAS.