Six workers were fatally injured during a planned work activity to clean debris from natural gas pipes at Kleen Energy in Middletown, CT. To remove the debris, workers used natural gas at a high pressure of approximately 650 pounds per square inch. The high velocity of the natural gas flow was intended to remove any debris in the new piping. During this process, the natural gas found an ignition source and exploded.

KEY ISSUES:
• SIMILAR NATURAL GAS BLOW INCIDENTS
• INDUSTRY PRACTICES AND SAFER ALTERNATIVE METHODOLOGIES
• HAZARDS OF RELEASING NATURAL GAS NEAR WORK AREAS
• CODES AND STANDARDS

ROOT CAUSES:
1. Natural gas blows are common
2. Workers remained in building during gas blow

Image credit: CSB