Abstract: At approximately 8:30 p.m. on February 8, 2001, Employee #1 fractured his ribs when he slid into a manhole attempting to retrieve his flashlight. He was given the task of opening a newly installed manhole for extra ventilation for a welder 250 feet down stream. As Employee #1 opened the manhole, he dropped his flashlight. Every other manhole in the system was approximately five feet deep. However, this manhole was approximately 9 feet deep. He sat on the edge thinking this was only 5 feet deep and slid in. The extra depth caused him to hit the bottom, where his feet entered an inner open manhole another six feet deep. He landed on his left side and fractured his ribs. Employee #1 went to a local hospital for treatment.