Confined Space Accidents #4
This page was last updated on 05/06/2010
Two men found dead inside Guilford manhole
7/6/2003 9:30 AM By: Associated Press
(WHITSETT) — Sheriff’s deputies and safety regulators want to know how a father and his adult son died inside a manhole in Guilford County. Family of David and Christopher Michael found their bodies yesterday morning at a construction site in Whitsett. Their cause of death -isn’t- yet known … autopsies are scheduled for today. The two men had been helping install a water line for the City of Burlington. They were last seen alive Thursday night. State Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators were at the accident site yesterday.
UPDATE Texas Welding Company Agrees to Pay OSHA Fine for Failing to Implement Confined Space Standards Death of Two Workers at Kiewit Offshore Services Ltd. in Ingleside, Texas, Brought Company $294,000 Fine
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Kiewit Offshore Services Ltd., has agreed to pay $294,000 in penalties for citations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the company’s failure to implement standards that protect workers against welding hazards while working in a confined space. Two workers, one employed by Kiewit and the other employed by subcontractor R.B.T. Welders Inc., were killed in a January accident at the company’s Ingleside facility. “It is a tragedy when workers are killed or injured because employers did not follow the rules set out to protect them,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “I am pleased that Kiewit has agreed to make the changes needed to save lives. The implementation of these changes will improve the safety and health of all the workers in the company.” According to John Giefer, OSHA’s area director in Corpus Christi, OSHA investigated the Jan. 6 fatalities of two welders, one employed by Kiewit and the other employed by R.B.T. Welders, at Kiewit’s Inglesde, Texas, facility. The welders were fabricating steel highway bridge footings for barge transport to a new San Francisco Bay bridge. They were killed when accumulated fuel gas ignited in the confined space where they were working. The company was cited for 10 safety and health violations for failing to implement elements of the “permit required confined space” standard; failing to remove welding fuel gas hoses during downtime; not using adequate ventilation for welding operations performed in a permit space; and failing to use electrical equipment according to instructions. The “permit required confined space” standard must be followed when work is performed within a confined space, such as a bridge compartment footing. The standard calls for testing the air in a confined space, coordination of entry with multiple employers, permit use, rescue provisions, and training of workers on the potential hazards prior to assigned duties. Kiewit, a subsidiary of Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc. in Omaha, Neb., employs about 20 workers at the Ingleside, Texas, facility. Nationwide the parent company employs about 900 workers. R.B.T. Welders Inc. of Raceland, La., was a subcontractor at the Ingleside, Texas, facility and has been cited with 20 serious safety violations and fined $106,200. A serious violation is one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a violation about which the employer knew or should have known. Employers and employee with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call the Corpus Christi OSHA area office at (361) 888-3420. OSHA’s toll-free hotline number may be used to report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers. The number is 1-800-321-6742. OSHA is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
UPDATE Employers warned after wine worker’s death
July 01, 2003, 22:30
Membathisi Mdladlana, the Labour Minister, today said it was “unacceptable for workers to die while on duty” his department would take the strongest possible action against employers whose negligence allowed such deaths to occur. Mdladlana was responding to reports of the death of Joseph Jordaan, a worker at Uitvlucht Wynmakery in the Western Cape on June 24. Jordaan was killed when he went to the assistance of a fellow worker who was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes while cleaning an underground wine tank at the Montagu Wine farm. Four other workers were hospitalised as a result of the accident. Despite working in a closed environment without ventilation, the workers had not been issued with respiratory equipment. After the accident, labour inspectors issued one prohibition order and three contravention notices. The order prohibits the cleaning of the underground tanks until specified safety measures are implemented. The police are investigating the incident and the Department of Labour is assessing whether or not to recommend the criminal prosecution of the employer. Mdladlana also extended his condolences to Jordaan’s family. He called on employers, workers and government to ensure that such incidents do not take place. – Sapa
UPDATE OSHA Fines Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant Contractor For Alleged Safety Violations Two Workers Burned In January Explosion
BOSTON, Mass. — An explosion at the Deer Island sewage treatment plant that injured two contractor employees might have been prevented if safety standards were followed for working in confined spaces that contain flammable gas, according to citations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA’s area office in Braintree, which investigated the Jan. 14 the accident, has fined Advanced Pipe Inspection, Inc. of Boston $45,500 for 13 alleged serious violations of standards. The company had been hired by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to clean clogged overflow pipes in the plant’s sewage digesters. “OSHA standards are designed to protect workers from the hazards of working in confined spaces, ” said OSHA Area Director Brenda Gordon. “These standards must be strictly followed to avoid accidents.” OSHA’s citations chiefly address deficiencies in the safeguards taken for working in overflow boxes that provide access to the pipes. The overflow boxes contained unsafe levels of flammable gas. According to OSHA’s citations, Advanced Pipe Inspection failed to identify and evaluate confined space and other hazards in the work area, did not develop and implement procedures for eliminating or controlling flammable gases, and did not adequately inform or train employees about these hazards. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. A summary of the citations is attached. OSHA Citations & Proposed Penalties Advanced Pipe Inspection Inc. of Boston, Mass. Worksite Thirteen alleged serious violations, with $45,500 in proposed fines, for: Failure to implement a written confined space entry program where employees entered the overflow box, a confined space with flammable and hazardous gases; Failure to identify and evaluate confined space hazards, including accumulation of flammable gases (such as methane); oxygen displacement; work in Class 1 Division 1 space (one subject to accumulation of flammable gases); accumulation of pigeon droppings that may contain fungi causing histoplasmosois; and fall hazards; Failure to develop and implement procedures to eliminate or control flammable gas accumulation, ensure continuous air monitoring during entry and test the atmosphere before entry; Failure to supply ventilation equipment, adequate lighting and adequate rescue equipment during entry; Failure to designate the duties of each crew member, provide them adequate confined space entry training and certify training; Employer’s written confined space entry program did not include rescue procedures and employees entering space did not wear appropriate rescue equipment; Employer’s written confined space entry program did not include a permit entry system, nor were entry permits prepared for employees who entered the space; Authorized entrants, attendants and entry supervisor were not informed of confined space hazards, including flammable and hazardous atmosphere and the confined space’s rating as a Class 1 Division 1 location; Failure to inform emergency responders of confined space hazards and provide responders with access to work area to develop and practice rescue plans; Failure to ensure all authorized entrants wore safety harnesses and were connected to retrieval lines during confined space entry; Failure to provide adequate energy control training to employees who entered the space; Failure to develop adequate energy control procedures to address releases of hazardous energy from the sewage digester system; Equipment was used that was not intrinsically safe for a Class 1 Division 1 location. OSHA defines a serious violation as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazardous condition about which the employer knew or should have known.
Poisonous gases kill five at DJB plant
Express News Service
New Delhi, June 25: Four contract workers and a senior engineer of a French company died after inhaling poisonous fumes at Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) Rithala sewage treatment plant. Workers alleged safety measures had been ignored. The company, Degremont (India), was working at the site’s flotation thickener unit under a contract with the DJB. The unit is a huge cauldron-like concrete structure at least 15 feet deep. Sewage sludge is collected and mixed in it. As the sludge is noxious, gases such as methane and hydrogen sulphide are present in high concentration. Two persons had climbed down the unit and fainted. Two others had gone in to save them, followed by the engineer. Electrician Fayyaz and foreman Phagu Yadav had gone inside the unit around 11.30 am to fix a problem with the agitator. The mix of gases made them dizzy. Both lost balance and fell into the sludge, at least one-and-a-half feet deep at that time. Operator Birender and helper Dharmender jumped in to save the men. By then, an alarm had been raised and senior engineer Ravi Kumar joined the rescue. The three men met with the same fate as Fayyaz and Yadav. Five lives were lost in 10 minutes. Police and fire personnel reached around 12.15 pm, fished out the workers and took them to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital in Jahangirpuri. They were declared brought dead. Hours after the accident, the poisonous fumes were still strong. Police, Degremont and DJB officials who had gathered on the roof of the unit had to hold cloth over their noses to prevent dizziness. Ropes, shoes and a torn shirt at the mouth of the unit hinted at the failed rescue mission. The Rithala plant treats 80 million gallons per day (mgd) of sewage. Half the sewage is managed by DJB and the other half by Degremont. The Degremont plant had been inaugurated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in October last year. Workers at the site alleged that they are not provided with even the basic safety gear. ‘‘There are no gloves. We have never been given gas masks or oxygen cylinders despite the air around the flotation units being foul. We just have ropes. But we never tie these around our waists when we enter the units,’’ said Manmohan, a worker. Surender, brother of operator Birender, said: ‘‘My brother had been working here for a few months and never got gloves or masks. Even if the Degremont offices have oxygen cylinders, they most likely are empty.’’ He broke down saying: ‘‘I wasn’t even told about Birender’s death.’’ Contract manager Dharmesh Varshney, the only Degremont official present at the site, refuted the charge. ‘‘Our workers are always provided with gas masks and oxygen cylinders. The safety equipment being used has been taken away by the police for investigation,’’ he said. According to Varshney, top officials of Degremont are in France. DJB officials visited the site in the evening. CEO P.K. Tripathi said he would read the police and fire department reports before taking action. Prashant Vihar police have registered a case of negligence.
One killed at Kanengo silos
by Joseph Langa, 25 June 2003 – 18:12:11
One person died and another was injured on Tuesday when they slid into a hopper and got buried under shelled maize which they were emptying from National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) silos at Kanengo in Lilongwe. Police spokesman George Chikowi confirmed that Wilson Sani Misi of Kanyenda Village in TA Kasumbu in Dedza died of suffocation after he slid into the hopper (funnel) through which the maize was being emptied from the silo. NFRA general manager Patrick Makina said Misi was one of the 16 people who were feeding the hoppers with maize from the silos. “When discharging maize out of a silo, it gets to a point where the silo is almost empty and at this stage the process requires manual feeding of the hoppers which lead to a conveyer belt below. The accident happened when the manual feeding exercise was taking place,” he said. According to Makina, Misi slid into the hopper and got buried under the grain where he suffocated. Makina said the other worker, Dennis Katanda, also slid into the funnel in a desperate attempt to pull his colleague out to safety. Katanda was buried up to the nose by the time the conveyer was stopped. Katanda was rushed to Lilongwe Central Hospital where he was treated as an outpatient while Misi died on arrival at the hospital.
UPDATE Hugo Employers Fined $427,500 For “Confined Space” Violations; Several Workers Injured; Repair Kar, Seaboard Container Cleaning and 1st Odyssey Group fined $142,500 each
OKLAHOMA CITY — The alleged failure of three Hugo, Okla., companies to train employees and give them adequate gear for working inside confined spaces with unsafe air has resulted in proposed penalties totaling $427,500 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA’s Oklahoma City office began its investigation of R Repair Kar, Seaboard Container Cleaning and 1st Odyssey Group on Dec. 10 following complaints it received that employees were entering and performing work inside railcars without adequate respiratory equipment. Several employees have suffered long-term illnesses due to the exposure. “When untrained workers enter confined spaces with unsafe atmospheric conditions they can easily become captive victims,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “OSHA standards are clear. Workers must be trained to test the air to ensure it is safe before each and every time they enter a confined space.” R Repair Kar, a company that repairs railcar tanks and boxcars, file d for Chapter 11. Seaboard Container Cleaning Inc. assumed R Repair Kar’s Hugo-based facility in April. The 1st Odyssey Group provides personnel services including on-site safety and health audits to R Repair Kar. Each company was cited with the same three alleged willful and nine alleged serious violations with a fine of 142,500. “All three companies had a hand in allowing the unsafe working conditions to continue,” said James Brown, OSHA area director in Oklahoma City. “However, the Odyssey Group had the authority to put an immediate stop to this by removing its personnel from the hazards.” The three alleged willful violations were for failing to provide fall protection, failing to develop and implement an adequate respiratory protection program and failing to evaluate and implement permit required confined spaces as required by the OSHA regulations. OSHA issues a willful citation for a violation that shows disregard of or plain indifference to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. Among the alleged serious violations were failure to ensure orderly walkways on an elevated walkway platform; unguarded floor openings; lack of a hearing conservation program; failure to ensure fit testing for workers wearing hearing protectors; failure to require the use of eye and face equipment for employees engaged in welding operations; failure to provide drinking water and failure to perform initial lead and cadmium exposure determination. A serious violation is one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a violation about which the employer knew or should have known. The companies have 15 days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the Oklahoma City area director or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers or workers who have questions concerning safety and health may contact the Oklahoma City area office at (405) 278-9560 or OSHA’s toll- free hotline at 1-800-321-6742. OSHA is dedicated to assuring worker safety and health. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov
UPDATE OSHA Cites Keystone Ski Resort For Violations Of Workplace Safety Standards; Worker Fatality in Nov. 2002 Snowmaking Pit Accident
KEYSTONE, Colo. — For failure to protect employees working in confined spaces, Vail Resorts, Inc., of Keystone is facing citations and proposed fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor in connection with a fatal accident in November. OSHA’s area office in Denver has concluded its investigation the Nov. 25, 2002 accident in which employee Benjamin Bornstein, 28, was engulfed by water in a snowmaking pit’s below-ground vault. OSHA’s area office in Denver is citing the company for two alleged willful and one alleged serious violation, with a total penalty of $128,250. “Safety standards for confined spaces are designed to prevent a tragedy such as this, but they must be carefully followed to be effective,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “Employees must be aware of the hazardous conditions. They and potential rescuers must be trained to deal with them.” According to Adam Finkel, OSHA’s regional director, the first alleged willful violation involved failure to post required warning signs on confined spaces and to develop and utilize a written “permit space program” for confined spaces, as well as a lack of confined space training for employees. The second alleged willful violation was the employer’s failure to inform an outside rescue service of the hazards associated with confined spaces at their workplace and failure to provide the rescue service with access to the confined spaces so they could plan and practice appropriate rescue operations. The alleged serious violation is associated with the employer’s failure to provide an egress ladder for entry into confined spaces. A serious violation is one where there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, involving a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. A willful violation is one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to decide to comply, to request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA is dedicated to assuring worker safety and health. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information visit www.osha.gov.
UPDATE Failure to Develop Procedures for Confined Space Entry Leads to $146,000 Fine for Menomonie, Wis. Employer
EAU CLAIRE, WIS. — A Menomonie, Wis. company is facing $146,000 in fines proposed by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following an November 2002 accident in which an employee died while servicing a grain storage silo at a Boyceville, Wis. farm. An OSHA investigation into the fatality revealed that Brave Harvestore, Inc., a company that builds and services grain and silage silos, failed to develop and implement a permit-required confined space entry program and did not have procedures and practices for safe entry into confined spaces. OSHA also charged the company with failing to provide adequate training for workers and allowing them to enter confined spaces without appropriate equipment, including respirators, body harness and retrieval lines, and testing equipment to evaluate the atmospheric safety inside the silo. Brave Harvestore employs approximately 25 workers. A major part of their routine service includes replacing ‘breather bags’ inside the silos. The bags prevent air from entering the silo and reacting with stored forage. The low oxygen atmosphere promotes fermentation and prevents spoilage of the feed. Consequently, the low oxygen atmosphere promotes formation of toxic gasses and an oxygen deficient atmosphere. “Brave Harvestore was fully aware of this deadly hazard, but failed to take the appropriate measures to protect workers,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “OSHA’s first commitment is to protect workers from such tragedies. We stand ready to assist employers of all sizes to make their workplace safe, but we will not hesitate to fully enforce standards when and where it is warranted!” OSHA has inspected brave Harvestore two previous times, the first in 1982 following a fatality and the second as the result of a formal complaint in 1990. Both inspections were related to silo construction rather than servicing. According to OSHA Area Director Tim Kobernat, Eau Claire, the company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to appeal before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Half-ton fuel tank cover falls on SoCal worker’s head
Associated Press
COSTA MESA, Calif. – A half-ton fuel tank cover fell on a worker’s head Tuesday, killing him, authorities said. The man, whose name was withheld, was working at Dabico Inc. and was lowering the 1,100-pound cover about 3:20 p.m. when it apparently came off its hinge and struck him, said Fire Department Capt. Randy Hicks. The large underground tank is used to store jet fuel. The man was inside the tank working on a platform 18 inches from the top of the tank. “We think he was trying to lower the top down but the hinge mechanism was not completely installed and when he removed the safety bar it just fell on him,” Hicks said. Dabico has been in business since 1966 and specializes in ground support equipment for aircraft, such as underground fuel tanks and other fueling systems. A telephone message left after business hours was not returned. A recorded phone message left after hours for the Southern California district office of the state Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board in West Covina was not immediately returned.
Seven killed, seven injured in blast in Alang yard
Press Trust of India Ahmedabad, May 19
Seven labourers were killed and at least an equal number injured in a blast inside an oil tanker at Alang ship breaking yard on Monday, district police sources here said. The blast could have been caused due to gas leak as gas welders were being used near the engine of the oil tanker, the sources said. The injured have been rushed to Bhavnagar Civil Hospital they said. Deputy Superintendent of Police HB Barot said that thick smoke emerging from inside the ship was preventing officials from ascertaining the exact number of injured. Barot said there was no major fire after the blast, which occurred in the oil tanker in yard number five.
UPDATE OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A jury will decide in September whether a fatal fuel tank blast south of Chico more than two years ago was an accident or involuntary manslaughter. Washington-based cleanup firm Northern Lights Mechanical Inc. and its general manager, Howard Jacobsen, 71, face criminal charges for the February 2001 explosion. Employee Jack Nickerson, 37, who was cleaning out sludge inside a large empty gasoline storage tank, was killed and another worker was seriously burned in the blast. Fire investigators say the explosion at the Jesse Lange facility was caused by static electricity from faulty equipment used during the cleanup process. Butte County’s district attorney alleges Northern Lights Mechanical failed to test for and clear explosive fumes from the 50-foot-high tank and that the firm didn’t ground the suction equipment used to siphon out the tank. Butte County Superior Court Judge Thomas Kelly has set the trial for Sept. 24. If convicted on all charges, Jacobsen could face up to six years in prison.
Rescuers pull man from sewage tank
14 May 2003
A sewage treatment plant accident is under investigation after a man blacked out in a sewage tank. The man was hauled from the bottom of a five to six-metre deep tank at the Far North District Council’s Kerikeri sewage plant on Monday afternoon by volunteer firefighters. He was believed to be a sub-contractor working on maintenance or repairs in the tank, which had about 30cm of sewage at the bottom. Kerikeri fire chief Ralph Rodgers said it appeared the man had climbed down into the tank before passing out. The man was in a serious condition on Monday night but his condition is understood to have improved.
UPDATE £200,000 fine for firm over silo tragedy
BY ANGIE BROWN
FORTH Ports has been fined £200,000 after a worker collapsed and died inside a grain silo after being starved of oxygen. Gary Smith, 34, died within minutes when he climbed into a fermenting grain bin to install a bug trap at Leith’s Imperial Dock. Forth Ports Plc, which operates the docks, yesterday admitted breaching health and safety regulations in failing to provide adequate risk assessment, training and supervision at its site when father-of-two Mr Smith died on May 7, 2001. Today, his widow, Janet Smith, said: “It is a very difficult time for the family. The last couple of years have been a nightmare. It’s just devastating. “I believe it is a large fine but it’s just a number to me. It doesn’t bring my husband back or my children’s father.” Speaking outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court, the family’s solicitor, Julie McCormick, said: “This past couple of years have been extremely difficult for them and they are just glad the current proceedings have come to a conclusion.” Sheriff Mhairi Stephen was told that when Mr Smith reached the insect-infested grain, for agricultural use, he threw the bug trap into it. But halfway back up the ladder he fell off, unconscious from a lack of oxygen. Pathologists determined he would have died within five minutes. Colleague Gordon Henderson raised the alarm, but it was half an hour before the fire brigade could rescue Mr Smith. Two days after the accident, health and safety inspectors measured the oxygen level in the silo at just five per cent – normal conditions are about 21 per cent. Forth Ports, which employs around 650 staff in Scotland and 1300 throughout the UK, admitted that even though the site foreman knew operators entered silos to set traps, Mr Smith – who worked for the company for three years – was not properly trained for the task. Assistant procurator fiscal Dr Alistair Brown said Mr Smith had been instructed to carry out the job after one of the storage bins developed a stench. The company increased carbon dioxide levels in bins where insects and moisture raised the temperature and the grain began to germinate, he said. Dr Brown questioned why the silos on the Leith site, built in 1936, had ladders at all when a hoist and harness – now required since the tragedy – was the only safe way to enter them. Proper safety measures should have included an oxygen monitor and safety hoist and line in case of a problem, such as the tragedy that struck Mr Smith, Dr Brown said. Defence agent Niall Scott said the bug traps were only used regularly after March 2000 when an improved grain maintenance programme began and had not been part of extensive risk assessments made several years earlier. Usually the traps were thrown into the hatch from outside full silos, but occasionally they were needed in partially full grain bins which required operators actually entering them. Even though the foreman knew operators were simply climbing down the ladders unaided, the silo grain manageress said she had no idea the hazardous practice was being used. This was a gap in the company’s otherwise extensive safety programme, Mr Scott said. A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: “The courts have imposed a significant fine which reflects the seriousness of the incident.”
UPDATE Men face charges in manure deaths
By Brian Skoloff Associated Press
Saturday, May 03, 2003 – MERCED — A judge on Friday let stand manslaughter charges against two men indicted in the deaths of a pair of irrigation workers who drowned in a manure pit — but told prosecutors to reduce 20 worker safety violations to a single count. The case is among the first to be prosecuted under a new state law that lets authorities file felony charges for worker safety violations. Merced County prosecutors used that law to charge Patrick J. Faria, a former owner of a Gustine-area dairy, and Alcino Sousa Nunes, the farm’s foreman, for the February 2001 deaths. Enrique Araisa, 29, was overcome by gases from the excrement as he tried to fix a pump in a large concrete waste pipe. He fell into a pool of liquid manure and drowned. Jose Alatorre, 22, fainted and fell into the waste while attempting a rescue. One of the workers was tethered to a rope, but no other safety codes were followed, prosecutors have said. The workers at the Aquiar-Faria & Sons dairy were not provided proper training or respiratory equipment and the air in the pipe was not tested before they entered the confined space, according to the indictment, which was issued in February. Work in confined spaces, such as grain silos and wine vats, requires air monitoring and safety harnesses. On Friday, Merced County Judge Frank Dougherty ordered prosecutors to combine the 20 state safety code violations into a single count. He then ordered the defendants to return for a May 23 arraignment on the amended three-count indictment. Attorney Kirk McAllister said his client, Faria, 51, will plead innocent. The attorney for Nunes, 44, would not comment. State regulators say inspections and education efforts were increased following a third manure pit death in August 2002. Sergio Ortiz, 43, of Patterson apparently collapsed from fumes and tumbled into a pipe used to drain dairy waste into lagoons. In that case, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration levied a $116,550 fine against Ortiz’s employer, Turlock Irrigation Construction, for nine violations of the state’s confined space regulations, CalOSHA spokesman Dean Fryer said Friday. The company is appealing. CalOSHA has fined Aquiar-Faria & Sons dairy $126,650. The dairy has appealed. Fryer said there have only been three deaths in manure pits on California dairy farms in the last decade. “This type of thing just doesn’t happen a lot,” Fryer said. “But it has raised concerns for the issue of the gases that come out of the manure pits and exposure to employees.” In 2000, CalOSHA inspected seven dairies and found 10 violations, resulting in $15,735 in fines. By comparison, CalOSHA inspected 131 dairies in 2001 and found 388 violations, doling out $458,490 in fines. In 2002, inspectors found 27 violations at 27 dairies and levied fines totaling $11,990. “We hit them hard in 2001 then we backed away … to let the industry catch up and sort of police themselves,” Fryer said. “I don’t think the hazards at dairies have increased, but it’s become much more public with the recent deaths and stepped up inspections.”
UPDATE Company In Manhole Deaths Cited
April 14, 2003
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A company whose two employees died in a manhole on Miami Beach has been cited and may be fined. Monday, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited and proposed penalties against Electrical Technology Corporation for exposing employees to safety hazards. In October 2002, two men were working at 18th Street and Bay Road installing pipe to hold electrical cabling in a 12-foot trench. The work included connected piping to an adjacent manhole. When a hose being used to pump water from the manhole became clogged, one worker went into the manhole and was overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas. A second worker tried to rescue the first man from the manhole, but he was also overcome. Both men fell into water in the manhole and drowned. A third worker became sick when he started to enter the manhole, but he was able to climb out. Hydrogen sulfide gas sometimes occurs naturally in damp, confined spaces. It comes from bacteria in decomposing materials, such as plant or animal debris, and sometimes sewage. The report from OSHA says that the standard practice of checking the atmosphere before allowing employees to enter a confined space would have avoided this accident. The agency issued four citations against Electrical Technology Corporation and proposed penalties of $62,000. The company has 15 working days to either comply, request conference with OSHA, or contest the citations and penalties.
Graincorp fined for accident
Tuesday, 8 April 2003
Graincorp has been fined $135,000 for its role in an accident at its Gilgandra silo three years ago. Quick thinking by workmates prevented an employee from suffocating when he was sucked into wheat during the unloading of the silo in May 2000. The NSW Industrial Relations Commission heard how the man’s colleagues placed a tube in his mouth which allowed him to breathe during a five-hour rescue operation. The 25-year-old worker was helping to move bulk grain from the 65,000 tonne silo to a rail siding when the accident occured. Heavy rainfall in the area had caused the grain in the hopper to become wet and swollen, blocking the hopper and stopping the flow of wheat. The worker had entered the silo and stood on top of the grain to clear the blockage with a steel bar. However the grain elevator was still running during the operation and as soon as the blockage was freed, gravity caused the grain to head towards the hopper, quickly entrapping the man. Justice Patricia Staunton noted that Graincorp had subsequently put in place remedial steps to remove the risk. Neverthless, there was a need for specific deterrence in ensuring that training was received, understood and re-emphasised, she said. Graincorp’s operations company was fined $135,000 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The action against Graincorp was brought by WorkCover who said the accident highlighted the “inherently dangerous” nature of grain loading. “The risks of incidents such as these are easily identifiable and can be avoided,” acting general manager Rob Seljak said. “We cannot stress too strongly the need for appropriate risk assessment and safety training when working around silo operations.”
Great Kills barge captain found dead in ship’s cargo hold
Saturday, April 05, 2003 By DINA V. MONTES STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Coast Guard officials are investigating the death of a Great Kills barge captain whose body was found Thursday morning inside the cargo hold of an oil barge docked in Brooklyn’s Erie Basin. The body of Gregory DiLiberto, 38, of Moreland Avenue, a worker for Reinauer Transportation, Port Richmond, was found by a co-worker around 5 a.m. Thursday, Coast Guard officials said. According to authorities, DiLiberto’s body did not show signs of trauma. Petty Officer Matthew Belson, a Coast Guard spokesman, said Reinauer Transportation called the Coast Guard and reported that they were missing a crew member and later found him dead inside the cargo hold. The Coast Guard and firefighters responded to the barge, docked near the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, and recovered DiLiberto’s body. Since the death occurred offshore, the Coast Guard is investigating the incident. Family members of the Great Kills resident were notified about his death later that morning by police who told them they believed DiLiberto died of hazardous fumes. “They said it was some sort of accident, he wandered where he wasn’t suppose to be,” said his mother, Jeannette Gullo. “He was somewhere where there were fumes.” The Coast Guard did not deny the reports of hazardous fumes, but refused to comment on DiLiberto’s death because of the ongoing investigation. The city medical examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Reinauer Transportation officials also said they could not comment on whether DiLiberto died of hazardous fumes because of the Coast Guard investigation. The 38-year-old father of one had been working with Reinauer Transportation since 1987 and was in charge of the barge and the process of cleansing residue from other barges, said Burt Reinauer, an officer with the company. “He was a very good employee, well-liked,” Reinauer said. “Everyone was upset when they found out about the news.” TAG: For an obituary on Gregory DiLiberto, see Page A 11. Dina V. Montes is a news reporter for the Advance.
Man survives silo scare; Worker rescued after being stuck nine hours
The man trapped in a Columbus County soybean silo around 4:30 p.m. Thursday was pulled to safety by rescue workers about nine hours later. Robert Shepherd, who is believed to be in his 30s, did not appear to be seriously injured but was transported to Loris Community Hospital in South Carolina for precautionary reasons. Mr. Shepherd was treated at the hospital and released, a nursing supervisor said. The incident occurred in a Willoughby Road farm warehouse about one to two miles from the state line in Tabor City. It is still not known exactly why Mr. Shepherd, who works at the farm, was in the silo. The farm’s owner and several workers refused to comment about the incident Thursday night. The Tabor City Fire Department and emergency and rescue agencies from around the region and South Carolina assisted in the rescue effort. The emergency workers attached ropes and a harness to Mr. Shepherd and built a box around his body to lift him out. At least one other man, who could not be identified, had been in the silo with Mr. Shepherd when he became trapped. Witnesses said the man was able to free himself.
Confined space death in laundry
Paul Clegg, 23, a laundry assistant, has died in the confined space of an industrial washing machine at his employer’s Sunlight Textile Services, Bournemouth, Dorset. It is believed he entered the machine’s 5-metre drum and was overcome by the atmosphere within. Colleagues desperately tried to rescue Mr Clegg but it took emergency services some time to recover him by making an opening in the side of the drum, but he could not be revived.
Farm slurry deaths were ‘avoidable’
AN INQUIRY has heard that two farm workers who died after being overcome by fumes in a slurry pit were trying to rescue a trapped heifer. The dead animal was found with a rope round its neck near the bodies of farmer Alexander Miller, aged 62, and 22-year-old farm worker Scott Herries at Barnkin of Craigs Farm at Dumfries. Health and Safety inspector Ian McGillivray said it was most likely the animal had fallen in and the two men had decided rescue it — but there were no eye-witnesses. The inquiry before Sheriff Kenneth Barr at Dumfries was told the bodies of the two men were found in the pit inside a building by neighbour Brian Anderson after he was called by farmer’s wife Margaret Miller who was concerned that her husband and his worker had not been back to the farmhouse since early morning. Mr Anderson said he had smelt slurry earlier that day and went to the pit to look for the missing men “hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.” The bodies were recovered by the emergency services and a post mortem later showed that they had drowned in the slurry after being overcome by fumes. Mr Miller had owned the dairy farm since moving from Northern Ireland in 1972 and Mr Herries, who stayed at Farmstead Cottage at Merkland Farm, Bankend, had worked for him for about five years. Mrs Miller, in a statement, said two cows had died the previous year after falling into the pit. And 29-year-old Margaret Hughes told the court that Mr Herries, her fiance, had said that he had previously rescued one of three calves from the pit — the other two were dead. Firemen gave statements telling how they went in with breathing apparatus and harnesses to retrieve the bodies and discovered the heifer nearby with the rope. Alex Ritchie, of the Health and Safety Executive, said that in a simulation exercise carried out three months later he had found readings of up to 900 parts per million of the very toxic hydrogen sulphide gas at the pit. He said: “It wouldn’t have the rotten egg smell to it … with a reading of that measure there wouldbe no sense of smell, there would be no warning signs.” Mr McGillivray, also from the HSE, said that one breath in a reading of that nature would be fatal. And he stressed: “The basic fundamental rules should be that no one enters these slurry stores unless they have been made safe and even then only if they have been emptied and washed out and left for six hours. “The accident was avoidable, it was not necessary to try to rescue the animal, the rescuers involved should not have put their own safety at risk.” He added: “The gas has different effects on animals and people and I think that if the animal was alive it may have misled them in that they thought it was safe.” Sheriff Barr will give his determination at a later date.
UPDATE York sewer death lawsuit filed
by Keith Heatly Staff Reporter
Family and friends of deceased York City maintenance workers have filed a lawsuit against chemical companies and York City supervisors. The lawsuit alleges that supervisors and companies are responsible for their deaths and should be held liable. Pamela Holloway, Carolyn Coleman, Jacqueline Jones and David Webb have filed a joint suit in Sumter County Circuit Court against Pro Chem, Inc. and Taylor Labs, Inc. Both companies are makers of a product known as “Red Hot Sewer Solvent,” a chemical used to clean and unclog sewer lines. On March 8, 2001 J.D. Coleman, Otha Hinson, Artur Jones and David Webb were working in a sewer manhole on US Highway 11 in York. In the process of cleaning the sewage lines, the city workers were exposed to poisonous gases. Coleman, Hinson and Jones died from inhaling the poisonous gas. The fourth victim, Webb survived with after being taken to Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa. Webb, the sole survivor of the accident, is suing for injuries and medical cost. The lawsuit claims that th “Red Hot Sewer Solvent,” chemical manufactured and distributed by Pro Chem, Inc. and Taylor Labs, Inc. caused or contributed to the poisonous gas which caused the death of the city workers. Toxicology reports from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences speculates that Methane, a colorless, orderless, extremely toxic gas, was inhaled by the workers. The lawsuit states that the chemical companies are guilty of negligence. Pro Chem and Taylor Labs failed to adequately warn users of the life threatening consequences of using the product. Also stated is the failure of the companies to instruct users on the proper manner and method of using the product or the minimum ventilation necessary to avoid death.
Worker plunges 20 feet inside W. Side manhole
ROMANO CEDILLOS Tucson Citizen March 13, 2003
A pipeline construction worker was injured yesterday when he tripped and plunged 20 feet inside a manhole on the West Side, a firefighter said. The accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. at West Riverview Boulevard and North Dragoon Avenue. The area is near West Grant and North Silverbell roads. Francisco Montoya, 24, of Tucson, an employee of Spiniello Co., suffered hip and leg injuries in the fall, said Capt. Paul McDonough of the Tucson Fire Department. “Because of the confined space the man was in, it took rescue personnel an hour and a half to get him out,” McDonough said. “He was conscious the entire time.” Montoya was treated at University Medical Center. A report on his condition was not immediately available. Don Morrow, superintendent of the Morristown, N.J.-based company, said Montoya was unloading equipment from a company truck near the manhole when the accident occurred. “He had just taken the racks off the truck and was beginning to offload equipment to set up over the hole when he tripped,” Morrow said. “The (two) other guys with him had their backs to him and didn’t see him fall in, but they heard him yell.” Frank Torres of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said his office was investigating the accident.
Officials investigate death of Crown Point man
March 7, 2003 By Bradley Cole Post Tribune correspondent
HAMMOND — A late morning industrial accident on Thursday that claimed the life of a Crown Point man remains under investigation. The Lake County coroner’s office confirmed Thomas Ponropinski, 55, of 2231 E. 137th Ave., was declared dead at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers in Hammond shortly before 10 a.m. Jeff Wells of the coroner’s office said Ponropinski’s death was apparently the result of an industrial accident. A spokesman for the Hammond Fire Department said paramedics were called to American Welding and Fabricating, 2122 Sherman St., shortly after 10:30 a.m. when a co-worker found Ponropinski lying unconscious in the bottom of a tractor trailer. Felix Peak, owner of the company, said he was in shock over the incident and believed Ponropinski may have had a heart attack or seizure. “I don’t know, I’m not a doctor,” Peak said. “I’ve owned this business for 18 years and have never had an accident or an insurance claim. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is here investigating.” Peak said Ponropinski seemed to be a nice guy and a good worker, though he was only employed there for a little more than a week. Wells said Ponropinski had some burns on his body that will be investigated. Peak said he believes Wells was welding prior to his death and may have fallen on top of the weld when he died.
Inquiry after two men die
March 6, 2003 07:23
A MAJOR investigation is under way today after two engineers died while working on a disused marine fuel tank on a Suffolk waterway. The bodies of the two men, both believed to have been married with children, were recovered at around 9.30pm yesterday after a seven-hour operation involving firefighters, paramedics, police, coastguard and harbour workers. They had been working in the five-metre diameter, 15-metre long tank for marine engineers Small and co at the shore of Lake Lothing, Lowestoft, when they became trapped. Emergency services were called to the scene to gain access to the partly-submerged tanks, which contained little air for the men to breathe. But after a dramatic seven-hour operation involving more than 30 firefighters from across Suffolk, it was revealed that the two men had died. It is believed they were overcome by fumes. Last night, a spokesman for Suffolk police said: “The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and will be investigating it as an industrial accident and we will be providing assistance. The coroner has also been informed.” The men, who were welders for the Lowestoft-based marine engineering company Small and Co, had been working inside one of four partly submerged tanks moored together off land owned by Associated British Ports (ABP) and across the water from dry docks belonging to their employer. The alarm was raised shortly after 2pm when police were called by ambulance paramedics to a derelict quayside industrial site. Although there were hopes the men were still alive, it later transpired that the would-be rescuers realised at an early stage that both men were dead. As police guarded the perimeter and officials from Small and Co, ABP and Lowestoft Harbour came and went, local fire crews were joined at the scene by colleagues from Ipswich, Felixstowe, Bungay and Beccles. As darkness fell, lights and torches flashed across the waters of the harbour as rescuers worked to gain access to the tanks, and soon after 9.20pm the bodies of both men were brought out of the container. At one point it was suggested that there had been an explosion in the tank, believed to have last been used for fuel storage more than 20 years ago. But Suffolk divisional fire officer Eddie Meelan said there was no evidence to support the claim. He said the operation had been difficult. “There was fuel slurry in the bottom of the tank,” he said. “But there has been not explosion the we are aware of. They had entered into an oxygen deficient atmosphere and they had been overcome,” he added. “We were not aware of any oxygen monitoring equipment.” He said the men were already dead when fire crews arrived at the scene at School Road, off Victoria Road, Oulton Broad. Mr Meads said that although some water had got into the tank there had not been any danger of it flooding. An arc welder was used to widen an opening in the tank so that the bodies could be retrieved, although that process was hampered by heavy steel girders built in to strengthen the tank. “We had to be very careful getting in with the breathing apparatus,” he said. He added that at the operation’s peak there had been 30-35 firefighters on site, backed by a communications control vehicle, a unit to provide additional light, a turntable ladder and a coastguard’s boat in the lake. Engineers from Small and Co also helped in the release of the bodies. Mr Meads said it was impossible to say whether either of the men had fallen into the tank, moored against derelict industrial land, sandwiched between Sanyo and Cosalt works sites. “There were no witnesses although there had been other people nearby. There is Jacob’s Ladder, a metal ladder, in the tank.” But he said that he was not aware that either man had been wearing a harness. It was already dark by the time a heavy-duty crane was brought in to assist emergency service vehicles, including a turntable ladder and lighting unit from Ipswich, specialist rescue equipment from Felixstowe and a control and communications vehicle from Beccles.
UPDATE Turlock company fined in fatality
By RICHARD T. ESTRADA BEE STAFF WRITER
A Turlock construction firm has been fined $116,500 in connection with the death of an employee in a dairy manure pit, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health reported Friday. Sergio Ortiz died of asphyxia while working in the bottom of the manure pit on Aug. 27 at the Rego Dairy in Gustine. Turlock Irrigation Construction, a private company, was cited for violating nine state regulations, which led to the death of the employee, Cal-OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer said. The dairy was not fined because it was not performing the work, Fryer said. “It’s the employer’s responsibility to provide the proper training and equipment, and the employer did neither,” Fryer said. Turlock Irrigation Construction, which had been hired to replace a flow gate in the 12-foot deep pit, declined to comment Friday. The Merced County district attorney’s office still is investigating the incident and could file criminal charges against the company and its employees. Eight of the nine violations committed by Turlock Irrigation Construction were described as “serious.” “Anything over $100,000 we consider a large fine,” Fryer said. “They have 15 working days to appeal or pay the fine.” The company has been in trouble with Cal-OSHA before. It was fined $5,625, according to Cal-OSHA records, for violating safety standards on a Modesto trenching job in September 2000. The company failed to reinforce the trench walls, which could have collapsed, Fryer said. In the Gustine dairy death, Cal-OSHA’s investigation concluded that Ortiz was overcome by methane gas while working in the manure pit. Methane is produced by cow manure. Ortiz was not trained to work in the dangerous conditions of a manure pit, Cal-OSHA found. Nor did he have the safety equipment or other protective respiratory gear required for the work. Other violations leading to Ortiz’s death, Cal-OSHA reported, were that the manure pit was not empty, the air quality was not tested and employees were not trained in rescue procedures. A similar incident killed two employees of Aguiar-Faria & Sons Dairy in Gustine in February 2001. Neither worker was trained or equipped to enter the manure pit, and both died after being overcome by methane. Those deaths led the Merced County grand jury to indict Aguiar-Faria & Sons Dairy and two of its supervisors last month for involuntary manslaughter. In the Gustine death, the state’s investigation found that Ortiz was at the bottom of the pit, one foot on a ladder and one on a pump, while working on the gate. Below him, a thick mixture of manure and water was creating the lethal methane. Ortiz convulsed and fell on his back into the liquid, according to another worker, and his head slipped under the water. The worker went down the ladder to try to rescue Ortiz, but was overcome by methane and had to exit the pit without Ortiz. According to Cal-OSHA, the Gustine Volunteer Fire Department was called, but the construction company had none of the required ropes, harnesses or other equipment needed for the firefighters to enter the pit. Ortiz was retrieved when someone looped a rope around his leg, which was still hooked in the ladder, and pulled him out. He was transported to Memorial Hospital Los Banos, Cal-OSHA reported, where he was pronounced dead. When interviewed by Cal-OSHA, employees said they did such manure pit work with some “frequency.” When asked what they knew about working in a confined space, employees were vague, according to the report.
UPDATE Worker dead in cement hopper
Investigation continues into the death of a road construction worker who was recovered by emergency services from a cement hopper. The incident occurred at the weekend on works in progress near the A830 Fort William to Mallaig road in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday. Update: It is reported that the dead man is Ronald Brown, 25, a concrete plant operator, from Ayrshire. Mr Brown was working on the project being undertaken by civil engineering contractors, Barr Construction. Mr Brown is said to have been working alone at the time of the accident.
UPDATE Barge victims asphyxiated, says coroner
WebPosted Feb 20 2003 10:23 AM PST
VANCOUVER – The B.C. Coroner’s office has confirmed that four workers who died in a barge accident in New Westminster last month died because of a lack of oxygen. Kent Stewart, the regional coroner with the Fraser Region, says this finding means no toxic fumes were involved in the men’s death. Four workers, who were doing maintenance work, had entered a small confined area below deck. When they failed to come back up, a fifth worker went down after them, and then phoned 911 on his cell phone from below deck. A firefighter responding to the call also ended up being trapped in the hull. Three workers died the day of the accident. A fourth victim died later in hospital. The coroner’s office and the Workers’ Compensation Board are both investigating what killed the four. The final report is expected in the next few months.
Gonzales man dies in plant accident
BARRY HALVORSON Victoria Advocate Saturday, February 15th, 2003
GONZALES – Ismael VillaGomez of Gonzales died Tuesday of severe burns suffered in an industrial accident at Southern Clay Products. VillaGomez, 26, was working in an empty mixing tank at the company’s plant when the accident occurred. “We don’t know what happened but apparently a large quantity of steam was released into the tank while he was in there,” said Butch Knutson, vice president of research. “I was told that he was alive when the paramedics arrived but later died at the hospital.” Knutson said that the company immediately contacted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to report the accident. He said inspectors from the MSHA arrived within five hours and were still on site Friday. The company is conducting its own investigation into the accident in conjunction with the regulating agency to determine the cause of the accident. Gonzales County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Darryl Becker pronounced VillaGomez dead at 2:45 p.m. at Memorial Hospital in Gonzales. Becker ordered an autopsy be done by he Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office. Results of that autopsy are not yet available. The Gonzales Police Department was contacted and completed its preliminary investigation into the incident. “At this point in time I don’t think that any kind of criminal act was involved,” Gonzales Police Chief Bill Chenault said. “From what our investigators have told me, it looks like a standard industrial accident. I think our investigation into the matter is pretty much concluded at this point, pending on what any autopsy might say.” Knutson said the company is offering the family counseling and support services. Counseling is also available for employees as needed. With a corporate office in Austin, the Gonzales facility is the only manufacturing plant of Southern Clay Products. It manufactures a number of products based on clay, including paint and nail polish thickeners and materials used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, drilling mud and plastics. The company is a part of the overall corporate umbrella of Rockwood Specialties, headquartered in Princeton, N.J.
UPDATE 2 indicted in Gustine dairy deaths
By MIKE CONWAY BEE STAFF WRITER
MERCED — A Merced County grand jury has indicted two Gustine dairy employees on manslaughter charges in the deaths of two men in a manure pit nearly two years ago. District Attorney Gordon Spencer said Thursday that the indictment will be made public today after authorities arrest the two men, who work at Aguiar-Faria Dairy. “We are expecting them to surrender in the morning,” Spencer said. The two are being charged in the Feb. 22, 2001, deaths of Jose Alatorre, 24, and Enrique Noquez Araiza, 29, both of Gustine. Spencer would not give further details of the indictment. Alatorre and Araiza were cleaning a sump pump when they apparently were overcome by methane gas fumes. Rescuers responding to the 911 call at 990 S. Kniebes Road declared the men dead at the scene. The sump pump where Alatorre and Araiza died was about 4 feet square and 30 feet deep. The incident prompted California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health to begin a massive series of dairy inspections. The agency has carried out 166 inspections since Alatorre and Araiza died, 50 percent more than in the previous decade, and levied nearly a half-million dollars in fines against dairies for safety violations, records show. Last August, another area dairy worker died in similar circumstances. Sergio Ortiz, 49, of Patterson died on another Gustine dairy while working in a standpipe used to carry manure. As Ortiz climbed out of the pipe, he apparently slipped and fell about 12 feet. A co-worker climbed in to help but became dizzy from the methane fumes. The dairy’s owner helped the second man get out safely. Merced is the state’s No. 2 dairy county, followed by Stanislaus at No. 3. Together, the two counties produce 24 percent of California’s milk. Disposing of manure safely has been a concern in the industry. When manure decomposes, it creates methane gas. In high concentrations, the gas can be fatal. Sump pumps, standpipes and other massive plumbing fixtures are used to move the water that flushes out dairy barns into manure lagoons.
EXPLOSION LEAVES MAN BADLY BURNED
12:00 – 04 February 2003
A young man was today critically ill following a massive explosion in a storage containment tank at Princess Yachts International at Marsh Mills. The incident happened yesterday at about 1.45pm when the 21-year-old Nationwide Heating Services Ltd employee was working inside the empty cylinder tank, which is 10 metres long by six wide. Fire chiefs at the scene, off Coypool Road, believe the man – thought to be from the Saltash area – was using acetone to remove hardened resin. Police say the man was welding inside the tank. The 21-year-old was flown to the specialist burns unit at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. Peverell-based Nationwide Heating Services Ltd had been contracted to carry out work at the site on tanks formerly used to store resin for sealing yachts. Fireman Tim Mockridge, Station Officer at Crownhill, said the inside of the container became engulfed in a ‘fireball’, and the man was unable to escape. He had been lowered into the tank in a harness, through an opening in the top of about 60 centimetres in diameter. The area was cordoned off after a Westcountry Ambulance Service crew arrived. Police officers took photographs at the scene. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today said it would be investigating the incident. Inspectors were this morning due to meet representatives of Princess Yachts International and Nationwide Heating Services Ltd at the Coypool Road site. While the man was working inside the tank, another man was working on the exterior. He was unhurt, and called the emergency services. Station Officer Mockridge said he believed the man was working with ‘a very flammable liquid’ smelling similar to nail varnish. He said as soon as firefighters arrived they had cut the man’s clothes off and covered his burns in water gel. “We believe the man suffered about 90 per cent burns,” he said. Andrew Thompson, HSE inspector, said: “We understand that a worker from the contractor Nationwide Heating was working within a resin tank at Princess Yachts International when an incident occurred. “We believe the worker suffered serious burns and was immediately taken to hospital.” David King, managing director of Princess Yachts International, today said his thoughts were with the man’s family. He said: “Obviously we are very concerned for him, and our sympathies go out to his family. We cannot shed any light on what happened until the investigation is completed.” Ian Jarvis, company secretary at Nationwide Heating Services Ltd, said: “Our thoughts go out to the man and his family.”
Man Rescued From Water Tower
Some Round Rock firefighters had to maneuver through tight spaces to rescue a man Tuesday afternoon. He had fallen while working inside a water tower. Firefighters were working a rigging system with ropes to lower their patient. He was about 128 feet above ground painting the inside of the water tank when he fell off scaffolding. “He fell approximately 10 feet, striking his head and complaining of severe back injuries,” Lt. David Kieschnick with the Round Rock Fire Department said. Round Rock firefighters used this basket to secure the patient before bringing him down. Tight confined spaces is what rescuers like Lieutenant David Kieschnick had to work in. “The initial area getting him out was only 16 inches in diameter that we had to get him out of the reservoir,” Kieschnick said. “Actually they had disassemble some of the the scaffolding to do the patient care and patient assessing,” Round Rock Deputy Fire Chief Ronald Garzarek said. Then they brought the patient down a ladder inside the long tower was not a straight shot. “Three or four different levels that the ladder changed on the way up. About every 30 feet they’d change, change direction from wall to wall,” Kieschnick said. It took about two careful hours to bring the injured man down the water tower. Williamson County paramedics say he was in stable condition. Round Rock’s deputy fire chief credits the rescue to some of the intricate training firefighters go through. “And this is the scenario you paing when you have high angle resuces, or potential high angle rescues. You can look at this tower itself and see it’s fraught with danger,” Garzarek said. The patient is about 30-years-old, and he was taken to Brackenridge Hospital from Round Rock. The lieutenant who was one of the rescuers said the man was alert and talking to them as he was brought down.