On October 4, , two workers 26 and 27 years old were overcome by gas vapors and drowned after rescuing a third worker from a fracturing tank at a natural gas well. The tank contained a mixture of mud, water, and natural gas.
The first worker had been attempting to move a hose from the tank to another tank. The hose was secured by a chain and when the worker moved the hose, the chain fell into the tank. The worker entered the tank to retrieve the chain and was overcome. On December 5, , a year-old worker died inside a toluene storage tank that was 10 feet in diameter and 20 feet high while attempting to clean the tank. Although a self-contained breathing apparatus was present, the worker was not wearing it when he entered the tank.
The worker was overcome and collapsed onto the floor the tank. In an attempt to rescue the worker, fire department personnel began cutting an opening into the side of the tank. The tank exploded, killing a year-old firefighter and injuring 15 others. On May 13, , a year-old worker died inside a waste water holding tank that was four feet in diameter and eight feet deep while attempting to clean and repair a drain line.
Sulfuric acid was used to unclog a floor drain leading into the holding tank. The worker collapsed and fell face down into six inches of water in the bottom of the tank. A second year-old worker attempted a rescue and was also overcome and collapsed. The first worker was pronounced dead at the scene and the second worker died two weeks later. Cause of death was attributed to asphyxiation by methane gas. Sulfuric acid vapors may have also contributed to the cause of death.
On June 7, , a year-old father died whi le attempting to rescue his year-old son from a tank used to store spent acids from a metal pickling process. The tank was out of service so that sludge could be removed from the bottom. The son collapsed in the tank. Only one state Rhode Island experienced no confined space fatalities during this period. This is yet another notable increase, as only 28 states recorded fatalities in In a repeat from our prior analysis, atmospheric hazards were not the biggest cause of fatalities.
This Physical Hazards area includes:. This means that these three hazards account for almost half of the 1, deaths during this 8-year period. The most common coded confined spaces in falls are silo, grain bin interiors 17 ; sewers, manholes, storm drains 16 ; and ditches, channels, trenches, excavations There were cases of inhalation of a harmful substance in a single episode in a confined space over the 8-year period. The most common types of inhaled gases were hydrogen sulfide 38 cases , carbon monoxide 23 , methane 10 , sewer gas 6 , and solvents and degreasers 5.
In addition to these inhalation cases, there were 39 cases of depletion of oxygen and 21 cases of drowning. Ninety eight workers were killed in incidents involving confined spaces due to engulfment in other collapsing materials. In total, 66 of these decedents were engulfed in cash grain crops or field crops. A total of 56 cases were attributable to being caught in running machinery.
In 21 of these cases, the decedent was caught in a powered conveyor, most commonly a conveyor — screw, auger Many different occupations work in and around confined spaces.
The following tables shows the 10 occupations with the largest number of fatal workplace injuries involving confined spaces from Confined spaces are found in workplaces throughout the United States. Pre-planning for confined space entry should include all parties involved and should serve the purpose of reviewing entry procedures as well as covering specific hazards inherent to the spaces being entered.
Confined spaces can be deadly because of the potential for engulfment, oxygen deficiency, oxygen enrichment, flammable gases or vapors, combustible dusts, toxic substances and other physical hazards. Other health hazards that could impact employee safety include electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, poor visibility, biohazards, claustrophobia, noise, radiation and temperature.
This training should stress that death to the worker is the likely outcome if proper precautions are not taken before entry is made. All confined spaces should be TESTED by a qualified person before entry to determine whether the confined space atmosphere is safe for entry.
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