On September 13, 2024, at 7:31 a.m. Employee #1, a 34-year-old, was working inside a 9-foot-deep sewer manhole in Minnesota. The employee was performing a construction task to cement the end of a pipeline, sealing an old sewer line. The employee was NOT wearing a harness or hooked up to a tripod, and was working with another employee who was supervising and handing equipment from outside the manhole.
The Fire Department responded to a report of a person down and found the employee not breathing but with a strong pulse. High levels of hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide were detected inside the manhole. It took 45 minutes to extricate the employee using the Fire Department’s equipment.
The employee died enroute to the Life Flight helicopter due to overexposure to hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide.
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 9 | 9 | ||||
| Current Violations | 9 | 9 | ||||
| Initial Penalty | $204,400 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $204,400 |
| Current Penalty | $204,400 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $204,400 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 19261204 B | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 2. | 01002 | Serious | 19261204 C | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 3. | 01003 | Serious | 19261204 D | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 4. | 01004 | Serious | 19261204 E | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 5. | 01005 | Serious | 19261205 A | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 6. | 01006 | Serious | 19261207 A | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 7. | 01007 | Serious | 19261207 D | 03/06/2025 | 03/31/2025 | $4,400 | $4,400 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 8. | 01008 | Serious | 19261211 A | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested | |
| 9. | 01009 | Serious | 19261211 C | 03/06/2025 | 03/10/2025 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 03/11/2025 | C – Contested |