On Monday Anthony Ruggiero, a Tarrytown, NY Public Works Foreman, was killed when he was overcome by sewer gases inside an underground manhole as he was investigating a clogged pipe. During the rescue a volunteer firefighter who was also a good friend of Anthony’s also went into the manhole without breathing protection and fell unconscious. Rescuers with breathing protection pulled both men to safety but were unable to revive them.
There’s been no public reports of confined space fatalities in California’s wastewater industry, but around the country it has been a terrible year for confined space fatalities. H2S and other sewer gases as well as rescue procedures appear to still be a problem resulting in several deaths.
- Sept 6th – Tarrytown NY - public works employee and firefighter die
- July 28th – Sewickley, PA – one worker dies, three rescuers injured in deep well at wwtp
- May 7th – Middleton, OH – one sewer inspector dies, one firefighter injured in manhole
- June 2009 – Three plumbers die as they are vacuuming out a deep catch basin in a transfer station
Come get Scared Safe at the 2010 Northern Regional Safety Training Day. This Training Day will be held from 9:00am-4:00pm at the Yolo County Fair Grounds on Wednesday, October 27, 2010. Take advantage of the many opportunities to discover methods you can use to reduce risk and liability while increasing quality and productivity. There are many safety topics you can learn from such as Danger on the Streets, Ladder Safety and Infectious Diseases. Make sure you visit the Scared Safe Haunted House Exhibit in the Agriculture Building during the lunch and breaks. You will have a most unforgettable Scary Day.
Click here for information on exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities that are currently available.
Register early at the $95 member rate (rate goes up on 10/12/2010) and save at: www.cwea.org/conferences.
The importance of safety at work can’t be over exemplified. Adaptation of safety measures not only ensures safety of our members but also of their family dependents.
Both agencies and employees tend to regard safety in the workplace as nothing more than legislation. When managers do not pay attention to safety in the workplace, employees too get complacent about their work environment and do not pay attention to following injury prevention processes. Eventually the organization as a whole starts paying scant regard to safety in the workplace.
This is why the CWEA Safety Committee would like to remind you that we are here to assist all CWEA Local Chapters with implementation of any safety topics to all or most of your educational events. We would like to encourage you to utilize our committee to its fullest.
Our commitment to safety is more than a job, but a lifestyle and our goal this year is to encourage and implement more safety topics in all local programs.
Please contact us so we can discuss and explore how together we can bring safety back to the forefront.
Safety, live with it.
Larry Olivan
CWEA Safety Chair
lolivan@oroloma.org
Stay Safe This Summer
On June 9th, I, along with hundreds of safety professionals from all over the state, participated in a telephone conference call put on by the Heat Illness Prevention (HIP) Network. The HIP Network is a voluntary public/private partnership established to increase awareness of both employers and employees of the hazard of heat illness and the importance of heat illness prevention measures to prevent fatalities and serious illnesses in California workplaces. HIP Network members work together to help prevent heat illness in workplaces throughout California in partnership with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) by providing timely information to employers and employees. Read more
The Cincinnati Post reports this past Friday Jabin Lakes, a Middletown (OH) Public Works sewer inspector, was overcome by gas after opening a manhole and plunged 20-30′ into the pipeline. Three firefighters attempting to rescue Jabin were also overcome with gas and sent to the hospital, one in critical condition. Local and state officials are investigating the cause.
The City of Middleton issued a statement located here.
An autopsy scheduled for Monday should determine whether a Middletown city worker died Friday from injuries in a 20-30 foot deep fall down into a sewer or from breathing oxygen-depleted air, according to the Butler County Coroner’s Office.
Jabin Lakes, 31, of Franklin, plunged into a manhole over a sanitary sewer line on Yankee Road about 8 a.m. He lifted the lid off the manhole and became overcome. Lakes was pronounced dead at the scene, and officials worked through the day to retrieve his body from the sewer.
It was the first time a city worker died on the job since 1939. Three Middletown firefighters trying to rescue him also were overcome, including a fire lieutenant who was admitted to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton in critical condition. That fire official, Capt.Todd Wissemeier, 44, was upgraded to serious condition over the weekend.
For a limited time, EPA is offering a 12-month, free trial subscription to WaterISAC Pro (Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center). WaterISAC Pro provides access to sensitive, all-hazards threat information, emergency response tools, and a broad network of water utility professionals. This opportunity is available to staff of drinking water and wastewater utilities of all sizes, water association employees, state environment and homeland security agencies, and circuit riders. These personnel may sign up at www.waterisac.org
Benefits of WaterISAC
• The latest, sensitive information about critical infrastructure protection
• A network of colleagues with shared challenges
• Intelligence analysts who help interpret and evaluate threats
• Alerts about emerging risks
• Direct access to contaminant databases
• Monthly webcasts on current water security topics
From the San Francisco Bay Section… You’re the master of your trade, and now you’re also the supervisor. What additional skills must you carry in your tool bag? This half-day workshop will help to answer that question.
- “The Role of Supervisor’s in Safety” by David Patzer CSRMA Risk Control Advisor
- “Tell me about reasonable suspicion” by Roxie Pickett Public Works Safety Officer
- “The Ins and Outs of an OSHA Inspection” by Cal/OSHA Inspector
Join CWEA for Northern Regional Safety Day’s Safetyfest ’09 in Woodland, CA on Wednesday, October 28, 2009! This full day packed with safety training will earn you up to 5 CWEA contact hours in ALL vocations. Enjoy a hot lunch, visit the exhibitors, stay for the door prizes and or course network with your colleagues. Pre-Register by Monday, October 12 to get the member discounted rate of $95. Exhibitor Opportunities are also available.
