Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200357176 - Two Employees Suffer from Carbon Monoxide Exposure

Accident Summary Nr: 200357176 -- Report ID: 0453710 -- Event Date: 08/25/2008
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312447303	08/26/2008	1623	237110	Harrelson Utilities, Inc.

Abstract: At approximately 1:30 p.m. on August 25, 2008, Employee #1 began using a portable gas powered concrete saw at the bottom of 22-ft deep by 8-ft wide sanitary sewer manhole structure. Employee #2 was assisting Employee #1 by providing fuel and holding a fan adjacent to Employee #1. The fan was lowered into the hole through the use of a rope. The fan was not connected to a fresh air supply. Employees were wearing inappropriate respiratory protection. At 1:45 p.m., Employee #1 began to show signs of carbon monoxide, CO, overexposure. As Employee #2 began to assist Employee #1, he too began to show signs of CO overexposure. Employee #2 cried to the foreman at the surface to call for emergency services. The foreman called emergency medical services at approximately 2:00 p.m. At 2:09 p.m., the fire department arrived and began to ventilate the manhole. The employees were removed from the space and sent for medical treatment. The employees were not hospitalized.

Keywords: ASPHYXIATED, FAN, CONFINED SPACE, PPE, CONSTRUCTION, SAW, MANHOLE, CARBON MONOXIDE, RESPIRATOR

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Pipeline		New project or new addition		$50,000 to $250,000		22

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	312447303			Non Hospitalized injury	Asphyxia	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Trenching, installing pipe Fatality Cause: Asphyxiation/inhalation of toxic vapor
2	312447303			Non Hospitalized injury	Asphyxia	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Trenching, installing pipe Fatality Cause: Asphyxiation/inhalation of toxic vapor

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