OSHA determined that an Arkansas construction contractor failed to test oxygen levels in the confined space before two workers entered a sewer 20 feet below ground at an Edmund work site and died because of a lack of oxygen. The investigation into the June 14, 2022, incident found that an employee climbed into a newly installed sewer manhole to conduct testing when they lost consciousness. Trying to rescue the worker, a second employee followed into the manhole and lost consciousness. Both workers later succumbed to their injuries. OSHA investigators determined the Texarkana, Arkansas, company did not complete the required planning before allowing workers to enter the space. In pre-entry planning, a confined space must be tested for safety, including determining if ventilation is needed. The company also failed to provide rescue equipment and did not train workers on confined space entry procedures or obtain an entry permit.
OSHA cited the company for six serious and two willful violations and proposed $287,150 in penalties.
In July 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that – from 2011 to 2018 – 1,030 workers died in confined space incidents, 61 of them in sewers, manholes, and storm drains.
