Two sanitation employees die in confined space in Kentucky, August 24, 1985.
Source
NIOSH 1985 Aug; :1-6
Abstract
On August 24, 1985, two sanitation employees at a waste water treatment facility in Kentucky died in a sludge distribution chamber. A 25 year old shift foreman and a 32 year old operator were taking sludge samples from the chamber. The clear Plexiglas cover was removed from an opening in the top of the chamber so that samples could be taken using a cup attached to a rod. When the cover was replaced, it broke, and the pieces fell into the chamber. The shift foreman was notified of this, and it was decided to use an extension ladder to enter the chamber. The monitoring camera was moved aside, apparently to make room for the ladder. A worker in the area noticed the unattended ladder, and investigated. The victims were found lying face down at the bottom of the tank in the sludge. The victims were retrieved from the chamber by emergency squad members using self contained breathing apparatus. The chamber was latter found to have a hydrogen-sulfide (7783064) level in excess of 500 parts per million. Recommendations include development of policies and procedures for confined space entry, training workers in confined space entry procedures, placing warning signs near points of access to potentially hazardous areas, and installing an improved opening cover for the sludge distribution chambers.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; Region-4; FACE-85-44; Sewage-industry; Sewage-treatment; Accident-analysis; Safety-practices; Confined-spaces; Toxic-gases;
Document Type
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation; Field Studies
NTIS Accession No.
PB91-197848
Identifying No.
FACE-85-44
Source Name
Division of Safety Research, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Morgantown, West Virginia, Report No. FACE-85-44, 6 pages
