Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200812725 - Employee Is Killed in Gas Line Explosion

Accident Summary Nr: 200812725 -- Report ID: 0627400 -- Event Date: 09/09/2008
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312386220	09/16/2008	1623	237110	Gorman-Phillips Construction

Abstract: On September 9, 2008, Employee #1 and a coworker were operating a ditching machine and struck an unmarked natural gas line. They had the area checked before they started the operation and were told that the area was free of underground pipes. When Employee #1 struck the gas line, he shut down the machine and they phoned their supervisor from their truck. Employee #1 told the supervisor that he thought he had hit a salt water line. The supervisor instructed him to evacuate the area immediately. When they started the truck, it set off an explosion of the natural gas that lifted the truck off the ground and shattered the windows. Both Employee #1 and the coworker were hospitalized. Employee #1 died, and the coworker's injuries were not recorded.

Keywords: DITCH, FIRE, EXPLOSION, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, TRUCK, PIPELINE, PROPANE, MOTOR VEHICLE

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Pipeline		New project or new addition		$500,000 to $1,000,000			X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	312386220			Fatality	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Excavation Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion

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