SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS CO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 3:50 PM, ON MONDAY 04-23-2018, THREE CONTRACTORS WORKING ON AN ABOVE GROUND METER SET WERE INJURED WHEN NATURAL GAS WAS BRIEFLY IGNITED. THE INCIDENT SITE WAS AT 13210 HOLLOWAY ROAD, LOST HILLS. ALL THREE CONTRACTORS WERE WEARING FULL-FACE AIR MASK RESPIRATOR SUITS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THEY WERE ALL TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH BURN INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT AND CPUC DUE TO A RELEASE OF GAS AND INJURIES NECESSITATING HOSPITALIZATION. UPDATE 05/24/2018: UPDATED COSTS OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO 60K. UPDATE 01/23/2019: INVESTIGATION IS ON-GOING. UPDATE 04/30/2019: VALVE INSPECTION AND TESTING OCCURRED ON APRIL 18, 2018. IT REVEALED THAT THE VALVE CONTAINED RUST AND/OR OTHER PARTICULATE MATTER AND WAS PARTIALLY OPEN. THE VALVE COULD NOT BE EITHER OPENED OR CLOSED FROM THAT POSITION USING A TORQUE WRENCH SET AT VALVE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION, WHICH APPEARED TO BE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE PARTICULATES. ROOT CAUSE TBD. UPDATE 9/12/2019: THE TECHNICAL ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS IS COMPLETE. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE STRUCTURE BUILT AROUND THE FACILITY WAS THE CAUSAL FACTOR OF THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT EVALUATION PROCESS IS STILL ON-GOING. UPDATE 12/13/19: SOCALGAS ALLOWED A FILTER SEPARATOR WITH LEAKING VALVES, TO BE TURNED OVER TO A CONTRACTOR WHO ALTERED THE JOB BY INSTALLING A TENT OVER THE FILTER SEPARATOR. FOR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, CONTACT BRYON WALSH AT (619) 992 1473.