Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126796358 - Four Four Construction

Inspection Information - Office: Utah Division Of Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On December 3, 1998, Employee #1 was part of a crew working on a right-of-way for a new gas line to be installed along a stretch of highway near Moab, UT. They were using heavy equipment to rough grade the right-of-way in preparation for the pipeline crew. A coworker operating a Caterpillar D-8 bulldozer struck a 10 in. diameter gas line with the left cutting edge of his dozer blade, resulting in a high pressure leak and causing a vapor cloud to envelop the area. The crew managed to escape from the immediate vicinity when, after several minutes, a semi-truck down the road from the leak ignited the gas and the pipeline exploded. Employee #1 sustained injuries and was taken to the emergency room for exploratory surgery because of concerns about internal damage. His three coworkers were treated for smoke inhalation from the fire and the explosion, and then released.

Keywords: LEAK, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, STRUCK AGAINST, CONSTRUCTION, GAS, EXPLOSION, HIGH PRESSURE, LP GAS, PIPELINE, DOZER BLADE