Worker Rescued After Collapsing in Underground Conduit.

[Georgealbert]

Bang Kruai-Sai Noi Road, near Sai Noi Hospital, Sai Noi Subdistrict, Sai Noi District, Nonthaburi, at around 04:00 on July 15, police from Sai Noi Police Station received a report of a worker who had fainted inside an underground power conduit. Emergency responders from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation and the Fun Dee-Fun Den rescue team were dispatched to the scene with breathing apparatus, due to the reported insufficient oxygen levels inside the conduit.

 

The incident occurred in the right lane of the road, where a 3.7-meter wide, 7-meter long, and 4-meter deep underground conduit was being constructed as part of a project by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). The unconscious worker, a 35-year-old drill operator for the project was found wearing only his underwear and was unresponsive.

 

Rescue efforts took over an hour, with responders successfully extracting and transporting him to Sai Noi Hospital. According to a site engineer, and an electrical engineer, the project involves installing underground power lines The worker had entered the conduit to fix a malfunctioning drill head and reported feeling fatigued and requested to rest, but soon after began convulsing and collapsed about 360 meters inside the conduit.

The limited oxygen, along with water and mud inside the conduit, complicated the rescue operation, and rescuers had to walk from the entrance to the location where he collapsed, facing obstacles like pipes, mud, and slippery surfaces.

 

The rescue team managed to provide the worker with respiratory aid in time, and he is now in stable condition. The project is expected to be completed in the next two weeks, and additional safety measures, including oxygen supply, will be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.

 

Pictures from responders

 

[degrub]

Lucky to be alive. Hope he doesn’t have brain damage from the duration of the hypoxia.

[Georgealbert]

3 minutes ago, degrub said:

Lucky to be alive. Hope he doesn’t have brain damage from the duration of the hypoxia.

Yes agree, it i also not clear in the report what ‘respiratory aid’ was provided by responders, whether compressed air was used from breathing apparatus or oxygen was available for the casualty.

 

The pictures also seem to show a fan in use at the entrance, providing ventilation during the rescue.

 

Seems the confined space safe system of working was inadequate, leading to the incident.