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The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio: Sep 3, 2000. pg. 5.B |
(Copyright (c) The Plain Dealer 2000)
The Summit County medical examiner will postpone ruling on the cause of death of two men working in a Twinsburg Township manhole Friday until federal officials finish their investigation, authorities said yesterday.
Twinsburg fire officials said Friday that the Akron men - Terry V. Allshouse, 53, and Matthew A. Stoffer, 26 - may have suffocated while trying to measure for new sewer lines in the northern Summit County township. Firefighters measured a 12.7 percent oxygen level in the manhole, far below the 21 percent typically found in the air.
Officials at the medical examiner's office conducted autopsies yesterday and said they expect to release the cause of death within a week. Agents from the Cleveland office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the federal agency that issues guidelines for workers in confined spaces, are investigating.
According to OSHA rules, workers entering a manhole are required to test the oxygen in the air before entering; OSHA considers oxygen levels below 19.5 percent dangerous. Workers also are supposed to be trained in working in confined spaces.
It was unknown yesterday whether the workers and their employer complied with those regulations.
The men worked for Fairlawn-based Spagnuolo & Associates, which was hired to do surveying for the Bradford Park and Bradford Oaks housing developments on Twinsburg Rd. No one answered the phone at the company yesterday.
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Dateline: |
REEDSBURG |
Section: |
LOCAL/WISCONSIN |
Publication title: |
Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wis.: Jul 10, 2005. pg. D.3 |
Copyright Madison Newspapers, Inc. Jul 10, 2005
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said this week that a LaValle excavating company did not comply with all the standards necessary for working in confined spaces in a June 17 incident that caused the deaths of Todd Labansky and Duane Nobs.
The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. when police and rescue workers responded to a 911 call and found Nobs and Labansky unconscious in a manhole on Exhibit Circle in Reedsburg, where a subdivision is being built. Nobs and LaBansky were about 8 to 10 feet below ground, said Assistant Fire Chief Craig Douglas.
The cause of death is likely lack of oxygen, said OSHA area director Kim Stille.
When working in confined spaces, OSHA requires testing for the quantity of oxygen present as well as a communication systems between people inside and outside of the space, Stille said. Oxygen levels have to be tested before people enter the space, she said. If there is not enough, then the space must be ventilated. Safety harnesses are also required.
OSHA did not specify which standards were violated, Stille said, but if the standard had been complied with, the fatalities would not have happened, she said.
Labansky, 44, was an owner and operator of the company performing the work, B&L Excavating, with his sister and brother-in-law. Nobs, 56, was an employee of B&L, a 20-year veteran of the LaValle Fire Department and was village president.
Citations for the violations are not likely to be issued, though, because B&L Excavating is expected to go out of business, Stille said. If it does not, citations could be issued.
OSHA's full investigation will be complete next week, she said.
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Three workers suffocated to death while attempting to repair a manhole in front of Royal circle
BELLARY, DHNS
Three workers suffocated to death while attempting to repair a manhole in front of Royal circle, in the heart of the city, on Monday.
The workers got into the manhole in a row at around 3.30 pm to repair the manhole. The sewerage board workers decided to repair the manhole themselves as the sucking machine, meant for this purpose, was under repair. The deceased have been identified as Narayanappa, Mukkanna and Huligeppa, aged between 40 to 45 and all from Bellary.
Mr Narayanappa was an employee with the City Water and Sewerage Board, while Mukk-anna and Huligeppa were hired on contract. When one of the workers got into the manhole and was slipping away, the other two extended their arms to pull him out. The other two workers slipped while trying to the save their colleague.
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A 26-year-old male construction worker died when he entered a manhole containing an oxygen deficient atmosphere and was asphyxiated
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
The victim in this incident was self-employed as a construction sub-contractor and had no formal safety program. The victim had eight years of experience in construction and had previously worked for the same prime contractor on projects similar to the one he was involved in at the time of his death.
Synopsis of Events
On the day of the incident the victim was involved in the construction of a new sewer system. Construction on this system had been underway for many months; however, the sewer system had not yet been connected to the existing system. The sewer lines being installed were 18-inch lines, with four-foot diameter concrete manholes, providing access to these lines, located at intervals along the sewer right-of-way. Ground water had been seeping into the sewer lines and small amounts of this water was present in both the lines and the manholes.
At the time of the incident the victim had been working as a sub-contractor in various manholes on this system for slightly over 4 hours. He told a co-worker that he was going to install a plug in the lines leading to the manhole where the incident occurred (to keep out the ground water) and that he would then meet the worker for lunch. The victim planned to pump the water out of the manhole after lunch and then construct a baffle in the manhole.
This manhole contained approximately one foot of water and 2-3 Inches of mud at the bottom. A wooden ladder had been left in the manhole since the time of construction but the manhole had not been opened since it was installed six months prior to the incident.
The victim parked his truck at the side of the manhole and left the door open and the motor running. He then removed the cover from the manhole and climbed down the ladder to install the plug. His co-worker, driving a tractor, arrived on the scene a few minutes later and saw the victim lying at the bottom of the manhole. The co-worker ran to a nearby home and telephoned for help.
The local fire department responded to the call and four firefighters ware on the scene within four minutes. One of the firefighters immediately descended the ladder to check the victim for vital signs. As he reached the victim, he said he felt as though "someone had put a piece of cellophane over my face." The firefighter began climbing the ladder to escape from the manhole but he was extremely dizzy and had to be pulled from the manhole by two other firefighters.
Two other firefighters then descended the manhole wearing self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), put a rope around the victim, and had him hoisted from the manhole. Emergency medical technicians on the scene, unable to find vital signs, began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the victim and transported him to a local medical center. He was pronounced dead 1 hour and 10 minutes after the incident had been reported to the fire department.
Testing of the manhole by state Environmental Protection Agency employees on the day following the incident showed the following oxygen levels at various depths within the manhole:
5 feet below surface 20.5% oxygen
7 feet below surface 20.0% oxygen
9 feet below surface 14.0% oxygen
11 fact below surface 6.5% oxygen
13 feet below surface 4.0% oxygen
Cause of Death
The medical examiner gave the cause of death as asphyxiation.
The atmosphere within a confined space should always be checked for oxygen content and the presence of toxic or flammable gases/vapors prior to entry.
No attempt was made to check the atmosphere within this manhole prior to entry. Because work in similar nearby manholes had proceeded without problems, the victim apparently assumed that no hazards existed in the manhole where he died. Failure to check air quality within a confined space prior to entry is a common error which is observed in almost all confined space fatalities investigated by NIOSH. If confined space safe work procedures, as discussed in NIOSH Publication #87-113 "A Guide to Safety in Confined Spaces," had been followed, this death could have been prevented.
Confined spaces should never be entered without an observer posted outside and without use of appropriate rescue equipment (safety belt/harness and lifeline).
In this incident the victim entered the confined space without an observer or safety equipment. An observer, outside of the confined space and equipped with appropriate rescue equipment, could have assisted the victim when he first lost consciousness, possibly preventing this death.
Contractors should ensure that all sub-contractors they employ have a safety program which addresses the hazards to which the sub-contractor's employees will be exposed.
The prime contactor in this case had a company safety program which addressed work in confined spaces; however, no equivalent program was required for any sub-contractors employed at the work site. All employees at a work site should be trained and covered by a safety program addressing the specific hazards they will be exposed to. In this case, the victim apparently was unaware of the potential hazards with confined space entry.
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| News from
Jordan Barab:
http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/ , Member, National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981
http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2005/02/wont-get-fooled-again-and-again-and.html
Won't Get Fooled Again -- and Again and Again? OSHA Cites Serial Violator Who Had Killed Twice Before
OSHA has fined Moeves Plumbing $150,000 for trench safety violations.
So what's so special about that?
Moeves, you may recall, was the company highlighted in David Barstow's December 2003 New York Times series on OSHA's failure to file criminal charges against companies who willfully kill workers -- sometimes repeatedly.
Barstow tells the story of story of a young man, Patrick Walters, who was killed in an uprotected 10-foot deep trench in 2002, only a couple of weeks after OSHA had cited the same company -- Moeves Plumbing -- for sending workers into unprotected 15-foot deep trench. Barstow wrote of how OSHA refused to issue a willful citation despite proof that the hazards were well known to the company, and how the agency refused to refer this case to the Justice Department for possible criminal investigation.
Montgomery County Coroner's Office
The body of Patrick Walters as it was removed from the trench that collapsed and killed him in 2002. His family's lawyers provided the photograph.
Moeves had already killed a worker, Clint Daley, in a trench in 1989 after three warnings (and small citations) from OSHA prior to that. Following Daley's death, company owner, Linda Moeves, had impressed OSHA with her promise to change, take safety courses and purchase proper equipment.
Now, despite nation-wide attention to the company's fatal negligence, Moeves still has not learned its lesson. OSHA issued citations for three alleged willful violations and one serious violation of workplace health and safety standards involving trenching and excavation operations. During the inspection, OSHA found that employees working in a trench approximately nine feet deep, were exposed to cave-in hazards due to inadequate or missing safety equipment, the improper piling of excavated material which was too close to the open trench where it could have rolled or fallen back into the excavation, and inadequate safe means of entering or exiting the trench. A serious citation was issued alleging that trench shields available for use were damaged.
Moeves Plumbing has been the subject of 13 previous inspections, including five that resulted in citations for violations of OSHA's trenching standards. Two of the 13 inspections came as a result of employee fatalities due to trench cave-ins. Happily, this inspection and citation came before Moeves killed yet another worker. But how long before another worker -- who really needs the work and hopes his luck will hold out -- dies due to the criminal negligence of this company? Why should they be allowed to continue in business? What shouldn't their business license be revoked? Why aren't the good citizens of Cincinnati descending upon Moeves with burning torches and pitchforks? Why aren't Ohio's Senators -- Mike DeWine (R) and George Voinovich (R) introducing legislation to raise penalties for companies that repeatedly violate OSHA standards? ======================================================= http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2004/07/confined-space-mystery.html
Confined Space "Mystery"
Oh yeah, what a mystery! Who has ever heard of oxygen deprivation in a confined space ? Quel surprise!
Now look at the title of this blog. I didn't make the term up (although I meant it more figuratively than literally). Deadly Mystery At Delaware County Construction Site
Jul 9, 2004 1:29 pm US/Eastern
PHILADELPHIA (KYW) One worker is dead and another is clinging to life after losing oxygen at a Newtown Square, Delaware County, construction site.
The workers were inside a nine-foot manhole working on a sewer line just after 8 a.m. Friday when officials say they began to lose oxygen. CBS 3's Natasha Brown reports another worker pulled the unconscious men from the hole but has been told they were already in cardiac arrest.
Both were rushed from the 400 block of Merlin Road to an area hospital where one was pronounced dead upon arrival. The other was admitted.
Neither victim has been identified.
Roman Siletsky of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says there was a lack of oxygen in the manhole but noted no fumes.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Now, I've got a couple of problems here. First, it is well known that one of the hazards of confined spaces is oxygen deprivation. That's because chemical reactions (such as development of rust) or decaying organic material in the space (e.g. sewage, leaves, etc) consumes the oxygen. Which is why OSHA has a " Permit Required Confined Space " standard requiring, among other things, that spaces be monitored for oxygen deficiency and toxic gases, and that a trained and properly equipped attendant be present to monitor the workers inside the space, and perform a rescue (or call for help), if necessary. Any employer whose employees work on sewer lines should know this.
The other problem I have is with the reporter. Natasha, maybe you could do just a little bit of research here. Just because the hazards of confined spaces are a mystery to you doesn't mean they're a mystery (I hope) for most employers and employees who enter manholes, nor certainly to OSHA or those familiar with workplace safety issues. A couple of questions to a knowledgeable person or two could have put other employers on notice that their deadly negligence won't be overlooked by the media, and it could have educated some workers and possibly saved some lives.
Instead, most readers will go away thinking, "Gosh, how mysterious. I wonder what happened? Just one of those things. Too bad. What's for dinner."
=============================================================================== http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2003_11_01_spewingforth_archive.html#106887746084042357
"Definitely, it could have been prevented"
The only thing that makes me madder than fatal trench collapses are fatal confined space incidents, especially where, as in this case, one of the fatalities was the attempted rescuer.
This was your classic confined space tragedy where one worker goes down into a sewer line without any monitoring or compliance with OSHA's confined space standard . He passes out from hydrogen sufide exposure or oxygen deficiency and is swept down the sewer. A second goes in to rescue him. He also dies. A third worker when down to rescue them. He luckily survived.
Killed at the site were Francisco Hernandez, 24, and Javier Cruz, 22. They were employees of L&B Vector Service. They had been hired by Houston-based Jimerson Underground, which was repairing sewer lines for the city of Edinburg, Texas.
The one redeeming aspect of this article -- especially compared with the article below -- was the fact that Edinburg Fire Chief Shawn Snider was not shy about stating that "Definitely, it could have been prevented ... there is no excuse for not providing safety equipment for protecting your workers."
According to Jose E. Cruz, the accident victim's older brother "They did not have the proper equipment....They have people working for the city or this utility company and they had no face masks, no goggles, no gloves, and in the case of an emergency, no hooks to get you out. Nothing for the safety of the employees. It was negligence."
Cruz said his younger brother was married with two young daughters, and his wife is expecting a third child.
"I don't see how a company, especially with a worker with two kids and a baby on the way, would let them work in conditions like that -- without protective suits and with toxic wastes," Cruz said. One more interesting item. Both of these workers and the construction worker killed in the trench collapse that I wrote about below were working for companies contracting for municipalities. There are several ironies here. Both cities are in states that have no OSHA coverage for public employees, which means that had these employees been working for the cities, there would have been no OSHA investigation or citation because these workers would have had no right to a safe workplace.
On the other hand, being public employees, it is much more likely (at least in Ohio) that these workers were organized and therefore had much better access to information about safety hazards and some ability to take collective action to prevent these tragedies.
Although, we had plenty of confined space and trenching fatalities among our members when I was at AFSCME. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to study whether contractors for public entities have a higher injury and death rate than public employees doing similar jobs. We've clearly seen a trend, for example, in chemical plants and petroleum refineries and other industries. More and more of the most hazardous jobs are being contracted out, often to companies who pay less, provide fewer benefits, and little if any safety or health protections. ======================================================================= http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2003_08_01_spewingforth_archive.html#106020198519498767
Confined Space Fatalities
Earlier this week I wrote about a confined space incident that had a happy ending . Those workers were lucky. The ones I ran across today weren't:
Authorities in Hanover County are trying to determine what caused the death of a landfill worker . The accident happened Monday afternoon at a privately owned landfill.
Officials say two maintenance workers went into a manhole 18 feet deep to check on a sump pump. One of the men passed out and died before they could get him out. Investigators are not sure what caused the man to collapse. The man's name has not been released.
This is a confined space incident where the toxic gas was apparently introduced by the workers when they a gasoline-powered pump into a hole. This is an example of a poor or missing safety program and another where the rescuer almost ends up dead:
One city worker is dead and another was in serious condition this morning after an accident late Sunday afternoon that occurred while they were trying to repair a sewage pump station in Athens.
Mike Stanley, a 14-year city employee, was pronounced dead at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, according to Athens Service-Safety Director Wayne Key.
Dave Carder was listed in serious condition this morning at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, a hospital spokesman said.
The two men were overcome, possibly by carbon monoxide, after responding to a maintenance problem at the Oakmont sanitary lift station. Worker Scott Lambert also was at the scene.
Key said an underground portion of the lift station had flooded, and the workers attempted to use a vacuum truck to pump it out. When that failed, they gradually lowered a gasoline-powered pump into the 20-foot-deep hole, emptying it as the pump was lowered.
Stanley then descended into the lift station, but became ill. Lambert left the immediate area to call 911, and while he was away Carder apparently went down into the pump station to try to rescue Stanley , Key said.
================================================================================= http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2003_04_01_spewingforth_archive.html#200199019
Life Gets Cheaper
And while I'm in such a fine mood, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? Contractor Cited for Exposing Workers to Confined Space Hazards
Two Employees Died at Miami Beach Job Site
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Electrical Technologies Corporation for exposing employees to safety hazards at a Miami Beach job site where two workers died after entering a manhole and being exposed to hydrogen sulfide gas. The agency issued four citations with proposed penalties totaling $62,000. Now, all of you who have been reading my rants for the last few years know that I have this THING about employers killing workers in trenches. Because EVERYONE who is in construction knows that trenches can collapse and kill. And they should go to jail if they kill people in trenches.
I also have a THING about confined spaces. Partly the same reason. And partly because about 10 years back an AFSCME member was killed in a manhole and the manager said "Oh, gosh! We never had any idea. Someone must of poured some chemical in there or something. Just one of those terrible tragic things." This person should have gone to jail, because no one who runs a wastewater treatment plant or a sewage system can honestly claim they don't know about confined spaces. This person didn't go to jail. The employer (the city) wasn't even cited or fined because this happened in one of 26 states in this country where it is still perfectly legal to kill public employees.
But I digress....
First, why does this press release say "Contractor Cited for Exposing Workers to Confined Space Hazards?" The Contractor didn't "expose" workers to confined space hazards. The contractor killed two workers in a confined space.
Second, why is the fine only $56,000 for willfully killing two people -- the original victim and the rescuer. (Actually, they probably came within seconds of killing a third worker -- another potential rescuer who managed to get out when he felt dizzy.) Quite a bargain for two -- almost three -- deaths. And just to add insult to injury, four guys had been working inside an unsafe 12-foot deep trench before one climbed down the manhole to unclog a hose. Those and other citations brought the grand total to a whopping $62,000.
Now everyone knows that OSHA doesn't have anywhere near enough staff to do the job that Congress told it to do 33 years ago. But what they can do is send a message to the employers that probably won't be inspected. $62,000 may be an "ouch" for a small contractors, but the potential for millions of dollars or jail time might really catch their attention. I don't know what the circumstances were in this case. Maybe it was a small company. Maybe this, maybe that. But $28,000 per life?
But it's not all OSHA's fault. It's up to Congress to give OSHA the authority to increase its penalty structure and make it easier to impose criminal penalties and jail time.
I could go on and on. And I will. Some other day.
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Latest news: OSHA investigating Sauk Rapids worker's death
Man was emerging from manhole when struck
By Kari Petrie, Mackenzie Ryan and David Unze kpetrie@stcloudtimes.com; maryan@stcloudtimes.com; dunze@stcloudtimes.com
Published: June 20. 2006 1:00AM
SAUK RAPIDS — The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration today is investigating the death of a Sauk Rapids city employee who died Monday when he was hit by a car as he emerged from a manhole.
John Michael Ehlinger, 55, of Avon died Monday after being struck as he emerged from a manhole at a work site at Summit Avenue and Fifth Street South.
“We will be investigating this fatality today,” OSHA spokesman James Honerman said this morning.
The crash happened at 4:08 p.m. Monday, and Ehlinger was later pronounced dead at St. Cloud Hospital.
It could be several days before a decision is made on whether to file any charges against the driver of the vehicle that hit Ehlinger, Police Chief Curt Gullickson said this morning. There were no obvious signs that the driver was intoxicated, he said.
There were cones in the area Monday when Ehlinger was working to alert drivers that workers were in the area, he said.
A makeshift memorial of a worker's vest, helmet and a cross is there this morning.
Ehlinger was the assistant director of public works and was in charge of the water and sewer departments. He had worked for the city since March 2002 and started as an utility maintenance employee.
City Administrator Ross Olson said Ehlinger excelled at his job and was dedicated to his profession. While he took his work seriously, once he went away from work he had a light-hearted side, Olson said.
“John was also a joker,” he said.
Ehlinger, a husband and father, fit in well with the city's staff, Olson said.
“He was loved and respected by his colleagues,” he said.
Before being employed with Sauk Rapids, Ehlinger worked for the city of Avon, Olson said. During the interview process, both professional and personal references gave glowing reviews of Ehlinger, he said.
“Hiring John was an easy choice,” Olson said.
On Monday, Ehlinger was coming out of the manhole when a vehicle made a left-hand turn from Fifth Street onto Summit Avenue, Gullickson said.
Carol Marie Rothstein, 65, of Sauk Rapids was driving the vehicle. After questioning by police, she was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital for observation, Gullickson said.
The crash remains under investigation.
Sauk Rapids Mayor Mark Campbell called Ehlinger a great asset to the community.
“He will be greatly missed,” he said.
Campbell said his thoughts and prayers were with Ehlinger's family.
“He was very dedicated, very professional and did his job very well,” Campbell said.
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