Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200210532 - Employee killed when natural gas line ruptures and ignites

Accident Summary Nr: 200210532 -- Report ID: 0626000 -- Event Date: 07/14/1998
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
302098041	07/15/1998	1623	0	Pate & Pate Enterprises, Inc.

Abstract: Employee #1 was operating a Caterpillar motor grader, model 140-G, to rework the road surface after some water line work. The vehicle's blade struck an 8 in. natural gas pipeline, which was situated just 2 3/4 in. below the ground surface. The released stream of gas ignited immediately. Employee #1 was stepping out onto the grader blade to escape the vehicle when he stumbled and fell into the large deflected fire. He was immediately engulfed in flames and was killed. Subsequent investigation showed that the employer had consulted the pipeline owner/operator prior to grading, and that the gas pipeline normally ran at a depth of 4 ft. However, the pipeline had sloped upward to the shallow depth and had veered off at this section from its mapped path.

Keywords: BURN, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, FIRE, STRUCK AGAINST, CONSTRUCTION, NATURAL GAS, ROAD GRADER, RUPTURE, EXPLOSION, PIPELINE

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Highway, road, street		Alteration or rehabilitation		$20,000,000 and over			X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	302098041			Fatality	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Grader, dozer and scraper operators	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Site grading and rock removal Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion

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