Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 170758718 - Employee dies of asphyxia from methane in manhole

Accident Summary Nr: 170758718 -- Report ID: 0454711 -- Event Date: 03/04/1997
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
127317493	03/04/1997	1794	0	Neal Smith Construction Company Inc

Abstract: At approximately 11:00 a.m. on March 4, 1997, Employee #1 entered a recently constructed 8 ft deep by 4 ft diameter manhole to retrieve a clod of dirt on the bottom. He was one his way out when he fell back in and lost consciousness. Employee #1 died of asphyxia. He apparently was overcome by high levels of methane gas.

Keywords: UNCONSCIOUSNESS, ASPHYXIATED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, INHALATION, NATURAL GAS, FALL, CHEMICAL VAPOR, MANHOLE, OVEREXPOSURE

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Excavation, landfill		Maintenance or repair		Under $50,000			X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	127317493			Fatality	Asphyxia	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Steel Erection Of Solid Web-Connecting Fatality Cause: Asphyxiation/inhalation of toxic vapor

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