ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION - LOUISIANA

Incident Narrative

NOTE: DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT DESCRIPTION AND THE FINDINGS IN THE INVESTIGATION ARE SUPPORTED BY INFORMATION SUPPLIED TO ATMOS ENERGY FROM MILLER PIPELINE. INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014, MILLER PIPELINE CORP., A CONTRACTOR PERFORMING WORK FOR ATMOS ENERGY LOUISIANA DIVISION, WAS SCHEDULED TO DEACTIVATE AND ABANDON A 4"" PE GAS LINE ON HWY 21 @ N. AZALEA IN COVINGTON, LA. THIS WAS A COOL DAY WITH LOW HUMIDITY. MILLER PIPELINE EMPLOYEE ANTHONY DUNCAN (CREW FOREMAN) WAS IN CHARGE OF THIS WORK AND WAS QUALIFIED IN THE ASSOCIATED OQ TASKS. - ALL LINE STOPPERS UTILIZED TO BLOCK THE SOURCE OF GAS WERE INSTALLED PREVIOUSLY. - BEFORE BEGINNING THE PURGING PROCESS, MR. DUNCAN CHECKED TO MAKE SURE ALL SOURCES OF GAS WERE BLOCKED FROM THE GAS LINE TO BE DEACTIVATED. - AFTER CONFIRMATION THAT ALL SOURCES OF GAS WERE BLOCKED, MR. DUNCAN PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE VALVE (ON PURGE RISER) TO BEGIN DE-PRESSURING AND BLOWING DOWN THE GAS FROM THE LINE. HE WAITED 15 - 20 MINUTES FOR THE LINE TO BLOW DOWN. - ONCE HE THOUGHT THE LINE WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN DOWN, MR. DUNCAN GOT IN THE EXCAVATION TO REMOVE THE BLOW DOWN RISER. HE USED 2-INCH PLASTIC CUTTERS TO PERFORM THIS TASK. IT WAS DURING THIS PROCESS THAT THE RESIDUAL GAS IN THE PIPE IGNITED AND A FLASH FIRE OCCURRED INJURING MR. DUNCAN. - MR. DUNCAN WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS HELD OVERNIGHT FOR TREATMENT AND OBSERVATION. CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT: IT SEEMS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS THE GAS LINE TO BE ABANDONED WAS NOT PURGED OF GAS PROPERLY, ALLOWING RESIDUAL GAS TO REMAIN IN THE LINE. SECONDLY, PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL IGNITION WERE NOT FOLLOWED BY NOT PROPERLY GROUNDING THE PIPE OR TOOLS PRIOR TO CUTTING THE PURGE RISER. STATIC ELECTRICITY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF IGNITION OF THE RESIDUAL GAS. THIRDLY, MR. DUNCAN WAS NOT WEARING THE PROPER PPE (PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT) FIRE RETARDANT CLOTHING/GLOVES. THIS ADDED PROTECTION COULD HAVE MINIMIZED THE EXTENT OF THE INJURIES. FOURTHLY, MR. DUNCAN SENT HIS HELPER (ON FIRE WATCH) AWAY TO PERFORM ANOTHER JOB DUTY. BY HAVING SOMEONE ON FIRE WATCH AT THE EXCAVATION WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER COULD ALSO HAVE MINIMIZED THE EXTENT OF THE INJURIES, BY EITHER EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE RIGHT AWAY OR PULLING MR. DUNCAN OUT OF THE EXCAVATION AND AWAY FROM THE FIRE. ROOT CAUSE: THERE SEEMS TO BE HUMAN ERROR IN JUDGMENT BY MR. DUNCAN IN SEVERAL INSTANCES INVOLVING FOLLOWING PROCEDURES AND SAFETY POLICIES; THE BELOW FACTORS IN COMBINATION RELATED TO THE CAUSE OF THE FLASH FIRE WHICH RESULTED IN THE INCIDENT: - DID NOT PURGE NATURAL GAS FROM DEACTIVATED LINE BY USING AIR OR NITROGEN GAS; - DID NOT CHECK FOR COMPLETE PURGING (0% GAS) OF NATURAL GAS WITH A CGI (COMBUSTIBLE GAS INDICATOR) FROM THE PURGE RISER; - DID NOT PRACTICE PREVENTING STATIC ELECTRICITY HAZARD BY USING SOAPY WATER OR ANTI-STATIC SPRAY AND BURLAP SACK ON PLASTIC PIPE AND ALSO GROUNDING TOOLS PRIOR TO CUTTING PURGE RISER FROM DEACTIVATED PIPE. THIS ALONG WITH RESIDUAL GAS IN THE DEACTIVATED PIPE RESULTED IN A FLASH FIRE WHICH CAUSED THE INJURY. - DID NOT WEAR PROPER PPE (PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT); FIRE RETARDANT CLOTHING AND GLOVES. - DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER WORKER AT PURGE LOCATION ON FIRE WATCH WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE ABOVE INSTANCES (WHICH WERE NOT FOLLOWED) ARE COVERED IN ATMOS ENERGY'S O&M PROCEDURES AND SAFETY MANUAL; THEY ARE ALSO COVERED UNDER OQ TASKS L2 - ACTIVATING AND PURGING PIPELINES AND M8 - PREVENTING ACCIDENTAL IGNITION.