In February 2023, a 20-year-old maintenance worker drowned in a water main vault that flooded during the attempted repair of a leaking valve.
IL OSHA determined multiple contributing factors led to the drowning, including:
Lack of compliance with several confined space standards.
Lack of oversight and auditing by management.
Lack of rescue capability at the worksite.
IL OSHA made several specific recommendations to reduce the risk of a similar occurrence, including:
