Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GD incident on 2011-01-18 — PA
Operator
Philadelphia Gas Works
Cause
Pipe, Weld, Or Joint Failure
Commodity
Natural Gas
Program
GD
Damage and Injuries
1 fatality
3 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$40,000
Incident datetime
2011-01-18 19:28
Report number
Location
PA, PHILADELPHIA
Narrative
On january 18th, 2011 pgw received a phone call at 19:28 from the philadelphia fire department reporting a strong odor of gas in the intersection of torresdale (6900 block) avenue and disston (4600 block) street. Pgw dispatched first responders at 19:29, with the first pgw employee arriving on location at 19:38. Upon arrival, pgw preliminarily identified a significant leak on a distribution main operating at 18 psig (10-35 psig maop). At 20:00, pgw called in resources to start an emergency shut down. Additional resources continued to arrive and started leak migration and house checks along the 6900 block of torresdale. With the assistance of the pfd, pgw began forced entry procedures and evacuations of residents. Pgw recorded atmospheric readings in several houses during the house checks. When the first distribution crew arrived (20:10), pgw made bar holes to ventilate the gas and locate the leak. At 20:35, a pgw supervisor reported an explosion and fire at 6932 torresdale avenue. After closure of the isolation valves the gas fire subsided. The pfd extinguished the remaining fires. Pgw also greased off the 6" lp ci main on torresdale crossing the intersection of disston street. The south end was greased off thru the service at 6924 torresdale; and the north end was greased off through the main. Fsd pulled a head of service plug on building 6926 to confirm the line was deactivated. With the 6" main (1/4 psig) main deactivated and the 12" (10-35 psig) main deactivated, houses ventilated, the job was declared 'made safe' at 22:40. Pgw made excavations to physically cut and cap the 12" main and 6' main. The 6" main was cut and capped on 1/19/11 at 03:25. The 12" main was cut and capped on at 05:30. On 01/19/11 pgw inserted a camera inside the cut & capped 12" ci main from 25' eec marsden st to 35' wwc torresdale avenue. The main was clean, no signs of pitting and the mechanical joints were intact. With the camera the broken main was located at 29' 4" wwc torresdale avenue & 3'6" nsc disston street pgw excavated the area where the broken main was located. The ground was solid clay in the roadway, no signs of any voids. The break was circumferential and appeared to be a complete break, and the main was still in alignment, no indication that the main had dropped. Pgw excavated the area where the broken main was located. The ground was solid clay in the roadway, no signs of any voids. The break was circumferential and appeared to be a complete break, and the main was still in alignment, no indication that the main had dropped. The area excavated consisted of macadam with an overlay of asphalt with a stone base. There was no concrete base in the roadway. The dirt was solid clay and no frost was detected in this opening. The soil around the pipe was undisturbed clay, very moist. The ground was solid with no signs of cavity, void or undermining conditions or depressions supporting the pipe. The dirt around the break had equal moisture as the surrounding soil. Pgw excavated along both sides of the main and left the dirt under the main, not to disturb it. There were no obvious signs of any graphitization, pits, plugs, or holes. There were no other types of fittings in this opening. The excavation was prepared to allow a 6' section to be removed with the break in the middle. The main was hand dug and scaled. The pipe was scaled only in the areas of the cut. The remainder of the removed section was only cleaned, not scaled. A stainless steel sleeve was installed on the break area; it was a complete circumferential break. The main was marked east, west and top. Pictures were taken during the removal. The removed main is scheduled to be transported to a laboratory for a complete metallurgical examination.
Detailed record list
Occurred At
2011-01-18 19:28:00
Year
2011
Report Received Date
2011-02-15 00:00:00
Iyear
2011.0
Report Number
20110026.0
Supplemental Number
15196.0
Report Type
Original
Operator Id
15469
Name
Philadelphia Gas Works
Operator Street Address
800 W. Montgomery Avenue
Operator City Name
Philadelphia
Operator State Abbreviation
PA
Operator Postal Code
19122
Local Datetime
2011-01-18 19:28:00
Location Street Address
6932 Torresdale Avenue
Location City Name
Philadelphia
Location County Name
Philadelphia
Location State Abbreviation
PA
Location Postal Code
19135-1906
Location Latitude
40.026622
Location Longitude
-75.042423
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2011-01-19 00:45:00
Nrc Rpt Num
965075
Commodity Released Type
Natural Gas
Unintentional Release
2923.0
Fatality Ind
Yes
Num Emp Fatalities
1
Num Contr Fatalities
0
Num Er Fatalities
0
Num Worker Fatalities
0
Num Gp Fatalities
0
Fatal
1
Injury Ind
Yes
Num Emp Injuries
3
Num Contr Injuries
0
Num Er Injuries
0
Num Worker Injuries
0
Num Gp Injuries
0
Injure
3
Ignite Ind
Yes
Explode Ind
Yes
Num Pub Evacuated
30.0
Incident Identified Datetime
2011-01-18 19:28:00
On Site Datetime
2011-01-18 19:38:00
Federal
No
Location Type
Utility Right-Of-Way / Easement
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Under Pavement
Depth Of Cover
37.0
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Municipally Owned
System Part Involved
Main
Installation Year
1942.0
Pipe Diameter
12.75
Pipe Specification
Asa A21.1
Pipe Manufacturer
Unknown
Material Involved
Cast/wrought Iron
Release Type
Leak
Leak Type
Crack
Class Location Type
Class 4 Location
Est Cost Oper Paid
300000.0
Est Cost Prop Damage
40000.0
Est Cost Emergency
17500.0
Est Cost Other
0.0
Est Cost Unintentional Release
15350.0
Prpty
372850.0
Commercial Affected
2.0
Industrial Affected
0.0
Residences Affected
18.0
Accident Psig
18.0
Normal Psig
18.0
Mop Psig
35.0
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Scada In Place Ind
No
Accident Identifier
Notification From Emergency Responder
Investigation Status
No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the incident
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Num Employees Tested
3
Num Employees Failed
0
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Pipe, Weld, Or Joint Failure
Cause Details
Body Of Pipe
Pwjf Failure Type
Body Of Pipe
Pipe Body Subtype
Crack
Additional Crack Ind
Yes
Hydrotest Conducted Ind
No
Preparer Name
J*** J* J****
Preparer Title
Manager Distribution Department
Preparer Email
J*********@p******.com
Preparer Telephone
215-684-6386
Preparer Fax
215-684-6388
Authorizer Name
P*** A* M********
Authorizer Title
Vice President Field Operations
Authorizer Telephone
215-684-6372
Authorizer Email
P*************@p******.com
Narrative
On january 18th, 2011 pgw received a phone call at 19:28 from the philadelphia fire department reporting a strong odor of gas in the intersection of torresdale (6900 block) avenue and disston (4600 block) street. Pgw dispatched first responders at 19:29, with the first pgw employee arriving on location at 19:38. Upon arrival, pgw preliminarily identified a significant leak on a distribution main operating at 18 psig (10-35 psig maop). At 20:00, pgw called in resources to start an emergency shut down. Additional resources continued to arrive and started leak migration and house checks along the 6900 block of torresdale. With the assistance of the pfd, pgw began forced entry procedures and evacuations of residents. Pgw recorded atmospheric readings in several houses during the house checks. When the first distribution crew arrived (20:10), pgw made bar holes to ventilate the gas and locate the leak. At 20:35, a pgw supervisor reported an explosion and fire at 6932 torresdale avenue. After closure of the isolation valves the gas fire subsided. The pfd extinguished the remaining fires. Pgw also greased off the 6" lp ci main on torresdale crossing the intersection of disston street. The south end was greased off thru the service at 6924 torresdale; and the north end was greased off through the main. Fsd pulled a head of service plug on building 6926 to confirm the line was deactivated. With the 6" main (1/4 psig) main deactivated and the 12" (10-35 psig) main deactivated, houses ventilated, the job was declared 'made safe' at 22:40. Pgw made excavations to physically cut and cap the 12" main and 6' main. The 6" main was cut and capped on 1/19/11 at 03:25. The 12" main was cut and capped on at 05:30. On 01/19/11 pgw inserted a camera inside the cut & capped 12" ci main from 25' eec marsden st to 35' wwc torresdale avenue. The main was clean, no signs of pitting and the mechanical joints were intact. With the camera the broken main was located at 29' 4" wwc torresdale avenue & 3'6" nsc disston street pgw excavated the area where the broken main was located. The ground was solid clay in the roadway, no signs of any voids. The break was circumferential and appeared to be a complete break, and the main was still in alignment, no indication that the main had dropped. Pgw excavated the area where the broken main was located. The ground was solid clay in the roadway, no signs of any voids. The break was circumferential and appeared to be a complete break, and the main was still in alignment, no indication that the main had dropped. The area excavated consisted of macadam with an overlay of asphalt with a stone base. There was no concrete base in the roadway. The dirt was solid clay and no frost was detected in this opening. The soil around the pipe was undisturbed clay, very moist. The ground was solid with no signs of cavity, void or undermining conditions or depressions supporting the pipe. The dirt around the break had equal moisture as the surrounding soil. Pgw excavated along both sides of the main and left the dirt under the main, not to disturb it. There were no obvious signs of any graphitization, pits, plugs, or holes. There were no other types of fittings in this opening. The excavation was prepared to allow a 6' section to be removed with the break in the middle. The main was hand dug and scaled. The pipe was scaled only in the areas of the cut. The remainder of the removed section was only cleaned, not scaled. A stainless steel sleeve was installed on the break area; it was a complete circumferential break. The main was marked east, west and top. Pictures were taken during the removal. The removed main is scheduled to be transported to a laboratory for a complete metallurgical examination.
| Occurred At | 2011-01-18 19:28:00 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011 |
| Report Received Date | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 |
| Iyear | 2011.0 |
| Report Number | 20110026.0 |
| Supplemental Number | 15196.0 |
| Report Type | Original |
| Operator Id | 15469 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Philadelphia Gas Works |
| Operator Street Address | 800 W. Montgomery Avenue |
| Operator City Name | Philadelphia |
| Operator State Abbreviation | PA |
| Operator Postal Code | 19122 |
| Local Datetime | 2011-01-18 19:28:00 |
| Location Street Address | 6932 Torresdale Avenue |
| Location City Name | Philadelphia |
| Location County Name | Philadelphia |
| Location State Abbreviation | PA |
| Location Postal Code | 19135-1906 |
| Location Latitude | 40.026622 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -75.042423 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2011-01-19 00:45:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 965075 NRC Report How to search |
| Commodity Released Type | Natural Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 2923.0 |
| Fatality Ind | Yes |
| Num Emp Fatalities | 1 |
| Num Contr Fatalities | 0 |
| Num Er Fatalities | 0 |
| Num Worker Fatalities | 0 |
| Num Gp Fatalities | 0 |
| Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Ind | Yes |
| Num Emp Injuries | 3 |
| Num Contr Injuries | 0 |
| Num Er Injuries | 0 |
| Num Worker Injuries | 0 |
| Num Gp Injuries | 0 |
| Injure | 3 |
| Ignite Ind | Yes |
| Explode Ind | Yes |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 30.0 |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2011-01-18 19:28:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2011-01-18 19:38:00 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Utility Right-Of-Way / Easement |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Under Pavement |
| Depth Of Cover | 37.0 |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Municipally Owned |
| System Part Involved | Main |
| Installation Year | 1942.0 |
| Pipe Diameter | 12.75 |
| Pipe Specification | Asa A21.1 |
| Pipe Manufacturer | Unknown |
| Material Involved | Cast/wrought Iron |
| Release Type | Leak |
| Leak Type | Crack |
| Class Location Type | Class 4 Location |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 300000.0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 40000.0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 17500.0 |
| Est Cost Other | 0.0 |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 15350.0 |
| Prpty | 372850.0 |
| Commercial Affected | 2.0 |
| Industrial Affected | 0.0 |
| Residences Affected | 18.0 |
| Accident Psig | 18.0 |
| Normal Psig | 18.0 |
| Mop Psig | 35.0 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Scada In Place Ind | No |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Emergency Responder |
| Investigation Status | No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the incident |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Num Employees Tested | 3 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Pipe, Weld, Or Joint Failure |
| Cause Details | Body Of Pipe |
| Pwjf Failure Type | Body Of Pipe |
| Pipe Body Subtype | Crack |
| Additional Crack Ind | Yes |
| Hydrotest Conducted Ind | No |
| Preparer Name | J*** J* J**** |
| Preparer Title | Manager Distribution Department |
| Preparer Email | J*********@p******.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 215-684-6386 |
| Preparer Fax | 215-684-6388 |
| Authorizer Name | P*** A* M******** |
| Authorizer Title | Vice President Field Operations |
| Authorizer Telephone | 215-684-6372 |
| Authorizer Email | P*************@p******.com |
| Narrative | On january 18th, 2011 pgw received a phone call at 19:28 from the philadelphia fire department reporting a strong odor of gas in the intersection of torresdale (6900 block) avenue and disston (4600 block) street. Pgw dispatched first responders at 19:29, with the first pgw employee arriving on location at 19:38. Upon arrival, pgw preliminarily identified a significant leak on a distribution main operating at 18 psig (10-35 psig maop). At 20:00, pgw called in resources to start an emergency shut down. Additional resources continued to arrive and started leak migration and house checks along the 6900 block of torresdale. With the assistance of the pfd, pgw began forced entry procedures and evacuations of residents. Pgw recorded atmospheric readings in several houses during the house checks. When the first distribution crew arrived (20:10), pgw made bar holes to ventilate the gas and locate the leak. At 20:35, a pgw supervisor reported an explosion and fire at 6932 torresdale avenue. After closure of the isolation valves the gas fire subsided. The pfd extinguished the remaining fires. Pgw also greased off the 6" lp ci main on torresdale crossing the intersection of disston street. The south end was greased off thru the service at 6924 torresdale; and the north end was greased off through the main. Fsd pulled a head of service plug on building 6926 to confirm the line was deactivated. With the 6" main (1/4 psig) main deactivated and the 12" (10-35 psig) main deactivated, houses ventilated, the job was declared 'made safe' at 22:40. Pgw made excavations to physically cut and cap the 12" main and 6' main. The 6" main was cut and capped on 1/19/11 at 03:25. The 12" main was cut and capped on at 05:30. On 01/19/11 pgw inserted a camera inside the cut & capped 12" ci main from 25' eec marsden st to 35' wwc torresdale avenue. The main was clean, no signs of pitting and the mechanical joints were intact. With the camera the broken main was located at 29' 4" wwc torresdale avenue & 3'6" nsc disston street pgw excavated the area where the broken main was located. The ground was solid clay in the roadway, no signs of any voids. The break was circumferential and appeared to be a complete break, and the main was still in alignment, no indication that the main had dropped. Pgw excavated the area where the broken main was located. The ground was solid clay in the roadway, no signs of any voids. The break was circumferential and appeared to be a complete break, and the main was still in alignment, no indication that the main had dropped. The area excavated consisted of macadam with an overlay of asphalt with a stone base. There was no concrete base in the roadway. The dirt was solid clay and no frost was detected in this opening. The soil around the pipe was undisturbed clay, very moist. The ground was solid with no signs of cavity, void or undermining conditions or depressions supporting the pipe. The dirt around the break had equal moisture as the surrounding soil. Pgw excavated along both sides of the main and left the dirt under the main, not to disturb it. There were no obvious signs of any graphitization, pits, plugs, or holes. There were no other types of fittings in this opening. The excavation was prepared to allow a 6' section to be removed with the break in the middle. The main was hand dug and scaled. The pipe was scaled only in the areas of the cut. The remainder of the removed section was only cleaned, not scaled. A stainless steel sleeve was installed on the break area; it was a complete circumferential break. The main was marked east, west and top. Pictures were taken during the removal. The removed main is scheduled to be transported to a laboratory for a complete metallurgical examination. |
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