Water Worker, Firefighters Injured By Gas Line Fire

A natural gas leak injured a water utility worker and two firefights in Arlington, TX, last week.

“All three were transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. The extent of their injuries [was not initially] known. Arlington Water Utilities crews were repairing a water line leak at the intersection of Ditto Avenue and Dugan Street, according to Arlington Fire Department spokesman Mike Joiner. As they cleared asphalt to begin excavation, they hit an Atmos gas line,” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The worker was digging up a water line when the natural gas line was uncovered, according to Fox 4 News. The ensuing fire shut down some roads until the next day.

“We’re letting it burn deliberately. These kinds of gas leaks, the only way we can stop the fire is to cut the fuel source off so what we are doing is just keeping the area cool. We’re protecting the power lines and homes,” Arlington Fire Department Assistant Chief Bill Self said, per the report.

The gas line ignited when water was being pumped out of the site, according to The Star-Telegram.

A separate, recent incident in Australia recently underscored the fact that water utility workers have a dangerous job.

“A man has died in a workplace accident at a wastewater treatment plant in Munster in Perth's south. It is understood the Civmec construction contractor became trapped under beams when a scaffold collapsed at the Water Corporation's Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. Fireman and police were called to the scene just after 10:00 a.m. but were not able to save the man,” ABC Online reported.

This tragedy is a reminder of the dangerous conditions many water and wastewater workers face every day as they ensure water service for customers. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that on average, 13 workers die in the U.S. each day, per 2015 statistics.