Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 202004503 - Two employees are killed from Oxygen Deficiency

Accident Summary Nr: 202004503 -- Report ID: 0317000 -- Event Date: 07/09/2004
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
307019943	07/09/2004	1623	237110	Rittenbaugh, Inc.

Abstract: On July 09, 2004, Employee #1 and #2 died from asphyxiation when they entered a nine foot deep manhole. The manhole was part of a newly constructed sewer line, which still needed to be "air tested" before it could be put into active services. OSHA readings taken approximately three hours after the men were extracted were as low as 12.7. Readings taken in the manhole three days later indicated oxygen levels as low as 4. Employees entered the manhole without the benefit of any confined space procedure. Employee #1 and #2 died from asphyxiation.

Keywords: OXYGEN, SEWER, CONFINED SPACE, MANHOLE

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Sewer/water treatment plant		New project or new addition		$5,000,000 to $20,000,000		9	X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	307019943			Fatality	Asphyxia	Construction trades, n.e.c.	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Trenching, installing pipe Fatality Cause: Asphyxiation/inhalation of toxic vapor
2	307019943			Fatality	Asphyxia	Construction trades, n.e.c.	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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