Fatal Accident Circumstances and Epidemiology (FACE) Report: Labor Foreman Falls to His Death Inside Municipal Water Tank in Indiana, March 21, 1988

摘要

The case of a 28-year-old male labor foreman who died when he fell 50 feet inside a 700,000 gallon municipal water tank was examined. The employer specialized in cathodic protection systems; the company had a written safety policy which prescribed the use of fall protection. The victim and a coworker were assigned routine maintenance work within an elevated municipal water tank. A catwalk circled the tank about 125 feet off the ground. A permanently mounted ladder extended from this catwalk to the top of the tank, where a door provided entry to the tank. The victim and a coworker climbed to the top of the tank and suspended a rope ladder through the door to provide access to the tank floor. The men set a siphon in place to drain water. On exiting the tank, the coworker stopped to wait for his supervisor. The coworker returned and found the man inside, about one quarter of the way up the ladder. The supervisor needed help. In attempting to assist the victim, the coworker was able to climb down and grasp his hand. However, he was not able to make the man respond to his calls to grasp the ladder and the victim fell to his death. No evidence of an oxygen deficient atmosphere was noted inside the tank. The company should ensure that confined space entry procedures are followed.