NOTE: this incident happened long BEFORE OSHA had 1910.146 in place…
At about 3:30 p.m. on October 10, 1986, Employee #1, a self contractor, arrived to inspect the sawmill’s fire protection sprinkler system backflow valve located in an underground vault 8 ft deep by 6 ft wide by 12 ft long with a 31 in. manhole opening. At about 4:20 p.m. a truck driver saw Employee #1 laying in 14 in. of water at the bottom of the vault and reported it to the mill office. Meanwhile…
Employee #2 attempted to rescue Employee #1 and lost consciousness.
Employee # 3 attempted to rescue Employee #2 and became disoriented.
Employees # 4 through 7, the policeman and firemen paramedics, attempted rescue without proper equipment and required treatment for an oxygen-deficient atmosphere with high levels of carbon dioxide after climbing out of the vault unaided.
Firemen using SCBAs removed Employees # 1 through 3 from the vault but were unable to revive Employees #1 and 2, who were pronounced dead at the hospital.
Employees # 3 through 7 were hospitalized for asphyxia.
