Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 003 Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.421(d)(9): Planning of a diving operation did not include an assessment of the safety and health aspects of the emergency procedures: (a) Municipal water reservoir; On or about March 23, 2024, a fatality of a Liquid Engineering Corporation employee occurred during a commercial diving operation within a 423,000 gallon-capacity potable water tank. While cleaning sediment at an approximate depth of 24-feet using an approximate 90-foot section of 3-inch diameter suction pipe (soft pipe), the employee's surface supplied air umbilical became entangled in the soft pipe, resulting in the employee being unable to egress from the tank. The employer did not conduct an adequate assessment of diving operations to ensure necessary measures were included and/or implemented in order to effectively respond to an emergency situation during underwater activities.