Inspection Detail

Inspection: 100491489 - Robert W. Herthum

Inspection Information - Office: Syracuse Area Office

Investigation Summary

A building contractor hired an excavation contractor to dig the foundation for an addition to a single-family dwelling. The excavation contractor contacted the underground facilities protective organization prior to digging, and the utilities in front of the house were marked. The excavation contractor was digging the foundation with a backhoe when he encountered a pipe inside the existing foundation. When the pipe broke off, the excavation contractor did not smell gas and assumed it was a dead piece of electrical conduit. The excavation work was complete by approximately 12:40 p.m., when Employees #1 and #2 and a coworker, all employed by the building contractor, arrived and began installing forms for the foundation. The dwelling exploded about an hour later, injuring Employees #1 and #2. It was later determined that the excavation contractor had ruptured a privately installed gas line that ran from the residence to the garage at the rear of the property. The cause of ignition is unknown.

Keywords: CONCRETE FORM WORK, EXCAVATION, WORK RULES, EXPLOSION, CONSTRUCTION, NATURAL GAS, GAS LEAK, COMMUNICATION