Confined Space Incident Reminder

Thanks TR and thanks to all.  I believe real life incidents make more of an impact on safety talks.  These are real things happening to real people, and sometimes they happen to people in our group.

REMINDER:

\F0B7              Identify CONFINED SPACES.

\F0B7              Follow CONFINED SPACE POLICIES.

Worker rescued from manhole 06-12-08

NEWS FROM A LOCAL COMMUNITY:

Rescuers extracted a man Thursday morning who had fallen down a manhole while working near XXXX.

The incident happened at about 11 a.m., according to XXXX, team leader for the XXXX County Search and Rescue Team. XXXX said the man, whose name has not been released, fell while climbing down into the manhole, which was just 3-feet wide, and was unconscious when rescuers arrived.

XXXX said rescuers put the man in a harness and lifted him up through the hole, a process that took about an hour.
Capt. XXXX of the XXXX City Department of Fire & Emergency Services said rescuers had difficulty getting to the man because the space he fell into was very confined.

XXXX, deputy fire chief for the XXXX Volunteer Fire Department, said an emergency medical technician went into the hole and gave the victim a self-contained breathing apparatus so the victim could breathe while he was being rescued.

Toxic gases existed in the sewer area the man fell into, XXXX said.

The harness that was sent down for the victim was attached to a tripod that was placed over the manhole.
The man was taken to XXXX City Regional Hospital. XXXX said he couldn’t release any information about the man’s condition.

According to wire reports, the man was in serious condition Thursday. He fell about 15 feet down the hole after trying to clear an obstruction, the reports said.

The XXXX County Sheriff’s Office, XXXX County Search and Rescue Team, XXXX Volunteer Fire Department and XXXX Department of Fire & Emergency Services all responded to the scene.

Thanks again to TR for the share.