PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 AT 1453 HOURS, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED OF A THIRD PARTY DIG IN AT 56 SOUTH MCDONNELL RD, IN THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO. A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR, TEICHERT CONSTRUCTION, STRUCK A 6' STEEL MAIN WITH A BACKHOE. THERE WAS A VALID USA TICKET NUMBER (X805201511) AND THE GAS LINE WAS LOCATED & DAY-LIGHTED, BUT THE EXCAVATOR MISTAKENLY BELIEVED IT TO BE AN ABANDONED WATER MAIN AND HAD INSTRUCTED THE EXCAVATION CREW TO REMOVE IT. WHILE EXCAVATING TO REMOVE THE GAS MAIN STUB, THE STUB WAS DAMAGED CAUSING AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS. THE REPAIR CREW ARRIVED ON-SITE AT 1510 HOURS AND STOPPED THE FLOW OF GAS BY CLOSING THE 3 VALVES BY 1638 HOURS. THE CREW DEACTIVATED 29 FEET OF 6"" STEEL MAIN AND WELDED ON (2) 6"" DEAD END CAPS. ON 3/29/18, THE CREW INSTALLED 40' OF 6"" STEEL MAIN AND TIED IT BACK INTO SERVICE. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE REPORTED ON SITE. SERVICE WAS IMPACTED TO 1 CUSTOMER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO FATALITIES, AND NO IGNITION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT IS BEING REPORTED DUE TO THE UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS AND PRESENCE OF CHANNEL 7 MEDIA HELICOPTER OBSERVED AT 1657 HOURS. ON 4/17/18 AT 1003 HOURS, PG&E DETERMINED THAT THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS EXCEEDED THE >50K CRITERIA AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE DOT ON 4/17/18 AT 1016 HOURS (DOT REPORT NUMBER 1209558). A 48 HOUR UPDATE WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT ON 4/18/18 AT 0748 HOURS (DOT REPORT NUMBER 1209623).