CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO OF NEW YORK

Incident Narrative

AT 19:20 ON DECEMBER 8, 2017, A SUPERVISOR FROM CON EDISON'S QUEENS GAS CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT REPORTED A GAS IGNITION TO CON EDISON'S GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER (GERC). THE SUPERVISOR REPORTED THAT THE IGNITION - LOCATED IN AN EXCAVATION IN THE ROADWAY IN FRONT OF 47-55 37TH STREET IN QUEENS - OCCURRED WHILE CON EDISON EMPLOYEES WERE WORKING TO REPAIR A TYPE 1 GAS LEAK ASSOCIATED WITH A CRACKED 4-INCH LOW PRESSURE RADIAL CAST IRON GAS MAIN. A COMPANY EMPLOYEE FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE FROM UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC FACILITIES WHILE USING A TOWABLE BACKHOE TO REMOVE LARGE PIECES OF CONCRETE FROM THE EXCAVATION. THE BACKHOE DAMAGED A SECONDARY CABLE, CAUSING AN ARC, WHICH IGNITED THE GAS THAT WAS LEAKING FROM THE CRACKED MAIN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK (FDNY) RESPONDED TO THE IGNITION AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE. A MULTIPLE RESOURCE RESPONSE EVENT (""CODE MURRE"") WAS INITIATED BY THE GERC AND ADDITIONAL CREWS FROM GAS CONSTRUCTION AND GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (GDS) WERE DISPATCHED, TOGETHER WITH SUPERVISORS, FROM QUEENS, BRONX AND WESTCHESTER. CON EDISON CREWS BEGAN DIGGING A FIRE BANK EXCAVATION IN FRONT OF 47-31 37TH STREET TO ALLOW FOR STOPPER INSTALLATION AND ISOLATION OF THE 4-INCH RADIAL GAS MAIN. AT 20:26, WHILE MONITORING THE AREA, GDS DETECTED A 0.7% GAS READING IN THE ATMOSPHERE INSIDE THE BUILDING AT 47-55 37TH STREET AND A 1% GAS READING IN THE BASEMENT OF THAT BUILDING AT THE ELECTRIC SERVICE POINT-OF-ENTRY. THE BUILDING AT 47-55 37TH STREET WAS THEN VENTED BY GDS, AND THE GERC NOTIFIED CON EDISON'S ELECTRIC OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND. GDS ALSO REPORTED DETECTING A 6% GAS READING IN ELECTRIC MANHOLE M17797. THE ADJACENT ELECTRIC MANHOLES WERE CHECKED WITH NO GAS READINGS DETECTED, AND POWER VENTILATION EQUIPMENT WAS INSTALLED ON MANHOLE M17797. THE ATMOSPHERIC READINGS IN 47-55 37TH STREET VENTED DOWN TO 0% AND THE ELECTRIC POINT-OF-ENTRY VENTED DOWN FROM 1% TO 0.1%. AT 22:15, STOPPERS WERE INSTALLED, ELIMINATING THE GAS LEAK AND EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. AT 22:18, M17797 WAS CONFIRMED VENTED TO 0%. FOUR GAS SERVICES WERE INTERRUPTED: TWO COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, A SIXTEEN-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING, AND A THREE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING. GAS CONSTRUCTION WORKED TO RESTORE GAS SERVICE TO THE AFFECTED BUILDINGS. THREE CON EDISON EMPLOYEES SUSTAINED MINOR BURN INJURIES AND WERE TREATED ON LOCATION. FIRE-RELATED DAMAGE SUSTAINED BY A PRIVATE VEHICLE AND CON EDISON'S TOWABLE BACKHOE, TOGETHER WITH CON EDISON'S RESPONSE COSTS, ARE ESTIMATED TO BE IN EXCESS OF $50,000. DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING WAS ADMINISTERED. THERE WERE NO REPORTED EVACUATIONS. NEW YORK CITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, FDNY, AND THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RESPONDED. THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER, THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WERE NOTIFIED AND UPDATED. THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION AND THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE WERE ON LOCATION.