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    Manhole Cs

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    Tatak Bay Ahmed
    An employee died while working alone grouting a newly constructed 17-foot deep manhole. OSHA was notified and investigated. Gas readings taken in the manhole 3 hours later found oxygen levels between 16.3-17% and carbon dioxide levels between 0-4.5%. Further readings 9 days later revealed oxygen levels of 16-18.2%, carbon dioxide levels of 18,000-35,000 PPM, and methane levels of 5-8%. Bulk air samples showed oxygen levels of 12.5-14.1% and carbon dioxide levels of 16,845-23,968 PPM. The employee was exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide which had accumulated in the manhole due to chemical reactions between acidic

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    Manhole Cs

    Uploaded by

    Tatak Bay Ahmed
    132 views11 pages
    An employee died while working alone grouting a newly constructed 17-foot deep manhole. OSHA was notified and investigated. Gas readings taken in the manhole 3 hours later found oxygen levels between 16.3-17% and carbon dioxide levels between 0-4.5%. Further readings 9 days later revealed oxygen levels of 16-18.2%, carbon dioxide levels of 18,000-35,000 PPM, and methane levels of 5-8%. Bulk air samples showed oxygen levels of 12.5-14.1% and carbon dioxide levels of 16,845-23,968 PPM. The employee was exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide which had accumulated in the manhole due to chemical reactions between acidic

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    An employee died while working alone grouting a newly constructed 17-foot deep manhole. OSHA was notified and investigated. Gas readings taken in the manhole 3 hours later found oxygen levels between 16.3-17% and carbon dioxide levels between 0-4.5%. Further readings 9 days later revealed oxygen levels of 16-18.2%, carbon dioxide levels of 18,000-35,000 PPM, and methane levels of 5-8%. Bulk air samples showed oxygen levels of 12.5-14.1% and carbon dioxide levels of 16,845-23,968 PPM. The employee was exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide which had accumulated in the manhole due to chemical reactions between acidic

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    132 views11 pages

    Manhole Cs

    Uploaded by

    Tatak Bay Ahmed
    An employee died while working alone grouting a newly constructed 17-foot deep manhole. OSHA was notified and investigated. Gas readings taken in the manhole 3 hours later found oxygen levels between 16.3-17% and carbon dioxide levels between 0-4.5%. Further readings 9 days later revealed oxygen levels of 16-18.2%, carbon dioxide levels of 18,000-35,000 PPM, and methane levels of 5-8%. Bulk air samples showed oxygen levels of 12.5-14.1% and carbon dioxide levels of 16,845-23,968 PPM. The employee was exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide which had accumulated in the manhole due to chemical reactions between acidic

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 11

    Silent Killer in a Newly

    Constructed Manhole

    Reason For the


    Intervention
    OSHA received notification of a
    construction site fatality on
    August 5, 2004 day following
    the incident
    Reported that the employee
    was found at the bottom of a
    manhole
    New sewer system under
    construction - SIC Code 1623

    The Site
    Company laying sewer
    pipe & manholes for a new
    housing development
    6 employees onsite
    Farm land; slightly hilly;
    slope of ground ~ 1 to 4
    Manhole was adjacent to
    an entrance ramp to a
    highway

    2 foot opening
    4 foot wide internal
    diameter
    Riser was constructed
    of 4 X 4 concrete pipe
    sections
    17 feet deep outside
    161/2 feet inside
    Two 8 PVC Pipes in
    the bottom
    Built on a 4 to 12 bed
    of limestone chat

    Code Requirements
    City codes require a
    vacuum test must
    maintain 10 inches of
    mercury for a specific
    time based on depth of
    manhole
    If vacuum test fails,
    then sections of the
    manhole must be
    grouted to get a better
    seal

    The Incident
    After vacuum test failure,
    employee reportedly was
    assigned the grouting task
    Grouting is done by hand
    and takes about 1 hour
    The employee was working
    alone
    The employee was found at
    the bottom of the manhole
    unconscious

    Manhole Conditions

    Inspection
    Activity
    After recovery, the medical examiner requested
    sampling of manhole
    Fire Department Haz Mat Division took some multi-gas
    readings about 3 hours after recovery
    Results were 16.3 to 17% for oxygen
    and 0.0 to 4.5 %
    Picturegoeshere
    LEL
    Zero readings for carbon monoxide and hydrogen
    sulfide
    No readings taken for carbon dioxide

    Inspection Activity
    The employer did not have a
    confined space entry program
    OSHAs Salt Lake City
    Technical Center Health
    Response Team
    assisted with site analysis
    Direct Reading Instruments
    results 9 days later revealed:
    Oxygen 16.0 to 18.2 %
    CO2 1.8 to 3.5 % or
    18,000 to 35,000 PPM
    LEL 5 to 8 %

    Inspection Activities (cont.)


    Grab or bulk air samples
    taken with a medium flow
    pump at 3 L/Min.
    Collected in aluminum
    bags
    Lab results as follows:
    Oxygen 12.5 to 14.1 %
    CO2 16,845 to 23,968
    PPM
    Methane 776 to 1372
    PPM

    Carbon Dioxide
    Colorless odorless gas

    Displaces oxygen leading to oxygen deficiency

    Special problem in Midwest area


    Limestone Rock

    Calcium Carbonate

    Acidic topsoil
    Acid leaches from soil, which then contacts the limestone
    producing Carbon Dioxide

    Numerous fatalities

    Especially in new sewer/vault leak testing using a vacuum


    Pulls carbon dioxide into the space
    Oxygen measured at less than 3% on other similar fatalities

    5 similar cases known Nation-wide since 2000; 2


    cases with 4 fatalities in the Kansas City area

    Oxygen Deficient Atmospheres


    19.5 %
    15 - 19%
    12-14%
    10-12%
    8-10%
    6-8%
    4-6%

    Minimum acceptable oxygen level.


    Decreased ability to work strenuously.
    Impair coordination. Early symptoms.
    Respiration increases. Poor judgment.
    Respiration labored. Lips blue.
    Mental failure. Fainting, Nausea,
    Unconsciousness, Vomiting.
    4-5 minutes - possible recovery, 6
    minutes - 50% fatal, & 8 minutes fatal.
    Coma almost instantaneously. Death

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