Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for New Jersey: Police Officer Drowns After Being Overcome by Hydrogen Sulfide While Attempting Rescue of Construction Worker, FACE-92-NJ-020 (formerly 93NJ021).

摘要

On August 26, 1992, a 30-year-old male police officer drowned after being overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas when he attempted to rescue a construction worker who had been overcome by the gas in a 27-foot deep excavation. Hydrogen sulfide was released when construction company workers drove a piling into marshy ground near the ocean. New Jersey FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar occurrences in the future, the following recommendations should be followed: (1) All excavations with the potential to contain an oxygen deficient or hazardous atmosphere should be monitored by the company controlling the site before personnel entry and periodically during the job to ensure that the atmosphere remains safe. (2) Employers controlling the excavation site should provide, and ensure that employees use, fall protection and safety harnesses with retrieval lines. (3) Police, rescue and fire departments should implement a general safety program designed to help rescuers recognize, understand, and control hazards affecting them in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.120(q).