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Law Offices of
George H. Lyons
(602) 912-3888(phone)
(866) 912-3888(toll-free)
(602) 912-3898(fax)
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Joint Utilities Trench Explosions
During the 1950s and 1960s, Phoenix, Arizona experienced an extremely rapid residential population increase. With that population increase came large residential home construction projects. Because large numbers of new homes were being built on a repetitive fashion in close proximity to each other, the public utility companies adopted a program of placing all underground utilities in a single joint trench. From the outset of the joint trench installation practices the utilities recognized that it was important to maintain adequate separation between gas pipes and electric lines.
The National Electrical Safety Code provides that electric lines must be separated from gas lines by a minimal of 12 inches. Pursuant to the practices adopted in Arizona, gas piping was always the last utility to be placed in the trench after which the trench would be refilled with dirt.
There are many advantages and disadvantages to the use of the joint trench installation process that contains both gas and electric utilities. Failure of a single utility line could result in utility employees working in close proximity to, if not in direct contact with, other utilities equipment and lines. For instance, any arcing of an electrical line underground could compromise the integrity or burn through plastic gas lines located in close proximity. Perhaps even more prevalent in the event that the appropriate shading has not been performed around each of the utility lines, large rocks or other sharp objects found in the joint utility trench can cause damage to either the electric or gas lines or both.
Mr. Lyons has litigated several joint trench-related accidents. In one such case, Mr. Lyons represented nine plaintiffs while in another only one person was badly burned. Individual plaintiffs have been compensated as much as $7,000,000.00 as a result of the significant burns they have received.
Click here for a typical diagram outlining the position of the utilities in a joint trench installation.
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ABS
PVC
Polyethylene
Joint Utilities Trench Explosions
Odor/Odorless Gas
Propane Gas v. Natural Gas
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