Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1677395.015 - Droptine Utility Construction, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Austin Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 7:00 p.m. on June 13, 2023, an employee was spotting/hole attendant for a sandblasting process conducted inside a sewer drainage system. The employee was standing at the manhole monitoring the person inside the manhole sandblasting the walls of the sewage drainage system, when the Supervisor observed the employee's leg buckle. He approached the employee and asked if he was ok; the employee stated that his leg was hurting. The Supervisor sat him on the flatbed of the truck and told him to hold on while he got a replacement so he could sit inside the vehicle; the supervisor went about 100 yards to get the coworker to cover for the employee. While walking back, the Supervisor noticed that the employee had laid back on the flatbed, so he started running towards the employee. When the Supervisor got to him, the employee was not responsive; he sat him up and tried to wake him up. At this time, the Supervisor started putting wet cooling rags on the employee's head and shoulders, and the Supervisor assisted the employee to get out of the manhole. The employee was not waking up but was breathing. The coworkers put the employee in the truck. The Supervisor decided to take the employee to the nearest emergency room, seeing that their work location would be difficult for Emergency Medical Services to find. While driving off the work site, the Supervisor called the office and informed the General Manager (Rocky Davila) about the incident. The Supervisor and three coworkers arrived at the emergency room about 5:30 p.m. and they took the employee back to evaluate him. The autopsy report stated that a heat-related injury was suspected.

Keywords: Heat Injury Prevention Program, Heat Stroke, Heat-related illness , Leg, Manhole, Sandblasting, Sewer, Unresponsive