Four workers suffocate in Phuket sewer

[HooHaa]

All they needed would have been an Oxygen or Methane analyser or similar lowered down into the sewer and they would still have been alive now. Confined spaces need to be entered with extreme caution. RIP.

that is far more likely than this scenario, which does seem a bit overkill given the realities of thailand.

BA should have been worn by the workers on initial entry, plus as Tetleythedog said 2 Emergency men should

have been on stand by, kitted up in BA, plus they should have a guide line to work from and the man hole covers either side of the

entry point should have been taken off to provide an air flow into the sewer, also intrinsically safe radios should have been used

to have contact with the workers and the surface team...a lot of should haves....poor men....i know what its like to work in sewers but

at least we had full safety equipment and procedures.....When is Thailand going to wake up and wise up..(i know the answer).

[sevenhills]

That would have been H2S that killed them most likely. As many have stated the use of a hand held gas detector before entering, proper ventilation before entry, and re-checking of the oxy level & H2S could have saved their life's. No proper procedures were in place with proper safety equipment with a rescue plan by trained people was also a problem. Anyway too many issues to list here. Everywhere you go people are working at heights without fall protection, using ladders or scaffolding that is not adequate, and correct personal protective equipment is not being used.

RIP Gents

would Not have been H2S in my opinion. Just saying.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Faranguy]

The rules in developed countries are as follows:hydrogen_sulfide.pdf

[sotsira]

Whoever is the safety officer for this company should be fired on the spot. Just plain dereliction of duty. RIP guys.

Do you really believe that there even is a safety officer to fire in the first place?

[Kudzu]

The second, third, and fourth men all went down to help those who had gone before, but succumbed to the gas.

lemmings

Edited March 26, 2014 by Kudzu

[mercman24]

yeah brings back memories the old B.A. worked in the plastic industry for years, (was B.A. trained) when you get a "burn up" the poison gas plastic gives off takes you breath away and if it gets into your pores and in the blood system it can be a killer, end of.

[pete600]

Lack of education

[jocko]

That would have been H2S that killed them most likely. As many have stated the use of a hand held gas detector before entering, proper ventilation before entry, and re-checking of the oxy level & H2S could have saved their life's. No proper procedures were in place with proper safety equipment with a rescue plan by trained people was also a problem. Anyway too many issues to list here. Everywhere you go people are working at heights without fall protection, using ladders or scaffolding that is not adequate, and correct personal protective equipment is not being used.

RIP Gents

would Not have been H2S in my opinion. Just saying.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Why not H2S i am interested?

[pacovl46]

So unnecessary!!!! There's devices that can be lowered into the shaft to check for potentially deadly gases!!!

[Phil Water]

That would have been H2S that killed them most likely. As many have stated the use of a hand held gas detector before entering, proper ventilation before entry, and re-checking of the oxy level & H2S could have saved their life's. No proper procedures were in place with proper safety equipment with a rescue plan by trained people was also a problem. Anyway too many issues to list here. Everywhere you go people are working at heights without fall protection, using ladders or scaffolding that is not adequate, and correct personal protective equipment is not being used.

RIP Gents

would Not have been H2S in my opinion. Just saying.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Why not H2S i am interested?

Me too. I can't see it being anything but H2S. Very common in sewers, and in doses that kill or mame, it is completely odorless. The rotten egg smell is only evident in very low ppm concentration.

[smileydude]

If those agencies responsible for sewer work were held accountable for the deaths I'm sure we would see proper oxygen tank equipment provided for workers. There are a lot of hazardous gases lurking in sewers including methane and hydrogen sulfide. There are numerous stories of persons going down to save colleagues without proper rescue equipment only to succumb to the lack of oxygen. Without corruption I'm sure Thailand would have more then enough money to properly outfit sewer workers. RIP and my sympathy goes out to their families.

Edited March 27, 2014 by smileydude

[mickjn]

RIP to those involved.

A very preventable tragedy, a simple O2 meter / gas detector prior to entry. If they were not issued with this the employers should be charged. It took years in the west but the threat of corporate manslaughter charges changed the minds of employers contemplating short cuts for what ever reason.

RIP

I to was going to say something about the 02 meter.A few dollars spent they would be here today

[Valentine]

That would have been H2S that killed them most likely. As many have stated the use of a hand held gas detector before entering, proper ventilation before entry, and re-checking of the oxy level & H2S could have saved their life's. No proper procedures were in place with proper safety equipment with a rescue plan by trained people was also a problem. Anyway too many issues to list here. Everywhere you go people are working at heights without fall protection, using ladders or scaffolding that is not adequate, and correct personal protective equipment is not being used.

RIP Gents

would Not have been H2S in my opinion. Just saying.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Why not H2S i am interested?

Me too. I can't see it being anything but H2S. Very common in sewers, and in doses that kill or mame, it is completely odorless. The rotten egg smell is only evident in very low ppm concentration.

Absolutely correct. At the rotten egg smell it wont kill you but you need to get out of there. When the concentration gets higher you lose your sense of smell & can quickly lose consciousness. The fact they vented the space by opening the cover is also erroneous as H2S is heavier than air so would not vent upwards.

Another tragic yet preventable incident resulting in 4 deaths. It is only when the owners are held responsible & they get hit big time in their pockets & possible jail terms will safety related issues be taken seriously. When working offshore in my early days safety issues were only given lip service but became much more focussed when the companies had to pay whopping insurance premiums & they realised money spent on safety was economically more feasible as their insurance premiums came down.

[1Ping1]

Sad, very sad.

Yeah, could have used some solid CSEP training. Sad news, regardless of if they were Thai or Illegals, as some have stated. Reality is they did not know what the heck they were doing and are now dead. RIP to all of them as of course, they are unwarranted deaths.

Bottom line. Carbon Monoxide is heavier than air and is more than likely what did them in. Hydrogen Sulphide, is lighter than air, and sadly what they thought they could get rid of by simply letting it air out before they went in. In most deaths of this kind, sewer (hydrogen sulphide) gas gets the blame, and it is sadly a simple lack of oxygen, being that it is displaced by the carbon monoxide, that does them in. And no, you do not smell it, it is odorless, where the hydrogen sulphide, as others have stated has a rotten egg smell to it. .

[Somtamnication]

I have refrained from posting after reading the first few posts and I seriously had to wait a few days for the dust to settle down and all the armchair safety specialists on tv go to sleep.

I have been privy to the going ons of this company for a while now. I have been in their meetings and I have worked with them. ETC and STC, as well as their parent company S.Pattana, are some of the most professional companies in Thailand. They have ISO certifications that also include safety certifications. Mickey Mouse Thai companies do not get ISO certifications.

The company in Phuket was working towards another safety ISO certification. These are not typical Thai companies. They are professional, caring and are involved in incredible amounts of training to their staff.

Fact. Each and every vehicle has equipment for testing air samples, water samples, oxygen tanks checked monthly, and industry standard (not substandard) gas masks. No, not bought at the local 7-11s.

Fact. The labour office yesterday inspected the equipment (I know, like they would know the difference between a barbie doll mask and real mask, but this is Thailand). All equipment was upto date, was the correct equipment and all was working. And all vehicles had them.

I have seen tears from the managers. These were not crocodile tears, the politician tears of being caught. But tears of sorrow and utter frustration of why these crew did not follow proper procedures when going under.

In the big meeting yesterday between all parties concerned and with multiple government agencies, it was proven and explained how this could have happened. It simply did not have to happen and the meeting was simply a pr stunt for the politicians who "always follow rules and regulations" themselves.

The crew. RIP. May they rest in peace.

For a lot of the tv posters here, you have never managed Thai staff. For those who have, myself included, we know how difficult it is. You can threaten, write up, fire them, but lessons are rarely learned. P&P are rarely acted upon and most Thai companies simply replace them, like candy.

The companies involved are super professional. The issue is, their staff not following procedure. It is that simple.

Fact. The equipment was in the vehicle!!!! If the volunteers and the "foundation", or police or a monkey had looked in the vehicle, THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND oxygen tanks, masks and testing equipment.

Fact. They did not!

Fact. One after the other, 8 people did not follow procedure, and because of that, 4 are dead and one is near death. This is so sad. It is so so sad for their families.

One only needs to drive in Thailand, the number 2 most dangerous country to drive a car in, to know that they themselves do not follow SIMPLE and effective procedures to not splatter their brains all over the place.

Once in their service trucks, it is not upto higher management to be there, watching. The 15 year veteran supervisor who passed away should have followed these procedures. He did not. Why not? Basic training 101...see a comrade down, call for help first, put on equipment and assist.

You see someone down, call for help, then help. So simple.

In conclusion, what this has taught Thais is...... nothing. Accidents like these will continue. But rest assured, additional training, along with threats of unemployment if safety standards are not followed, will be implemented at these companies.

Thank you for reading.

[webfact]

Gassed Phuket workers ‘failed to use safety gear provided’
Anthika Muangrod


Had the men taken breathing apparatus with them, some might have been saved.

PHUKET: -- The four men who died in the sewer on the edge of Phuket Town on Wednesday (March 26) had access to all the equipment needed to keep them safe, the company said today. But they did not take it with them.

Lucksanatid Tidkongrach, Research and Development officer of Southern Thai Consulting Co, the local subsidiary of Eastern Thai Consulting 1992 Co, said the company provides safety equipment such as gas detectors, fresh air blowers, hard hats, ropes, safety harnesses, breathing apparatus, boots, and radios.

But on the day they died, the sewer team went to work with only boots, a rope, safety harnesses, and an air blower.

Instead of using a gas detector, the men held a candle into the entrance of the sewer. When it did not go out they assumed the air was breathable.

The first man down came back up again fast, saying he felt dizzy, so the crew waited another half-hour for the atmosphere in the tube to clear.

The first man went down again but this time soon lapsed into unconsciousness.

“We provide all [the required] safety equipment for our workers,” Ms Lucksanatid said. “But I guess that they didn’t use it because they have been doing this for long time, especially the foreman – he had worked for us for more than 10 years and he really knew his job."

The foreman was also the crew’s training officer.

“This kind of situation has never happened before. The sewer is only four meters deep so the team probably didn’t think they needed all the safety equipment.”

Judging from pictures taken after the accident, she said, it is the company’s belief that the crew did not manage to block the sewer properly to stop water coming into the area they were working in. This allowed water and gas to leak in.

The hot weather, she said, may also have been a factor. “We have never had this problem in the rainy season.”

The water coming into the sewer made the gas more concentrated, so the second man, trying to rescue the first, and the third man, trying to rescue both, were knocked in a matter of seconds.

By the time the foreman started down in a disastrously misguided attempt to rescue his three crew, the gas was so strong that he had gone only three rungs down the ladder when he was knocked out. He fell the rest of the way.

“In the future,” said Ms Lucksanatid, “we will introduce more technology and machinery [to replace workers cleaning sewers by hand]. There will be big changes in policy and safety planning. We held a meeting yesterday to discuss this.

“We lost the four men who were our real experts. Now we have only two people left. They didn’t go out on Wednesday – they are still shocked about what happened.

“We are not sure yet how long it will take to build up a strong team again, so we can’t really say at this stage how long it will be before we deploy the new machinery. But we will do it soon.

“In the near future, we will make sure our workers always use the appropriate safety equipment.

“This has been a very hard time. We have just lost our best, most loyal workmen.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/gassed-phuket-workers-%E2%80%98failed-to-use-safety-gear-provided%E2%80%99-45418.php


-- Phuket News 2014-03-29

[rhythmworx]

What a shitty job that must be.

[rotary]

Sad, very sad.

Yeah, could have used some solid CSEP training. Sad news, regardless of if they were Thai or Illegals, as some have stated. Reality is they did not know what the heck they were doing and are now dead. RIP to all of them as of course, they are unwarranted deaths.

Bottom line. Carbon Monoxide is heavier than air and is more than likely what did them in. Hydrogen Sulphide, is lighter than air, and sadly what they thought they could get rid of by simply letting it air out before they went in. In most deaths of this kind, sewer (hydrogen sulphide) gas gets the blame, and it is sadly a simple lack of oxygen, being that it is displaced by the carbon monoxide, that does them in. And no, you do not smell it, it is odorless, where the hydrogen sulphide, as others have stated has a rotten egg smell to it. .

H2S is heavier than air

[Somtamnication]

What a shitty job that must be.

What a crass and asinine comment to make. Without these workers, you would be shoveling sh1it out of your window!

[JulesMad]

“We lost the four men who were our real experts"

Were they?!? They knew the risks, they had the necessary equipment, but in their 'expertise' they decided they did not need it...

It is very sad, it did not had to happen, but it was their OWN choice and their OWN responsibility.

Unfortunately we know how many people here deal with responsibility... It is always the fault of somebody else

[Calimotty]

“We provide all [the required] safety equipment for our workers,” Ms Lucksanatid said. “But I guess that they didn’t use it because they have been doing this for long time, especially the foreman – he had worked for us for more than 10 years and he really knew his job."

The foreman was also the crew’s training officer.

Unfortunately Ms Lucksanatid what you don't provide is! A management permit to work system which makes it impossible to enter a confined space such as this without all of the internationally recognized safe guards being in place.

I hope the workers families sue your ass off.

[Halion]

Death by misadventure ? No, Death by crass negligence and lack of training ,equipment and supervision.

If the details in the report are true then this sewer was saturated with toxic gas which are in most cases heavier than air, so if the foremen who is reported to have entered last collapsed while only a few steps down the ladder then the sewer gas levels were extremely high. Furthermore, why when he realized that he had sent 3 men into a hazardous confined space did he himself not use appropriate breathing apparatus. We are told that he was highly experienced !

What happened here was reprehensible to the point of being criminally negligent. Confined space entry in potentially toxic environments requires gas/02 analysis as a prerequisite for entry and self contained breathing equipment.No exceptions.

These men died as a result of operational negligence and their employers should have their feet held to the fire.

[Sakeopete]

Sometimes it's not lack of training but pressure to get the job done. Even in the offshore oil industry where they have high training standards and safety rules crewmen don't always follow them.

[LivinginKata]

Off topic rant removed.

[jocko]

Sometimes it's not lack of training but pressure to get the job done. Even in the offshore oil industry where they have high training standards and safety rules crewmen don't always follow them.

I have seen workers take risks when they think they know better .

When its just a little task a 5 min job they take the risk and mostly getaway with it .

RIP

[fatdrunkandstupid]

In other countries they use a canary as an early warning system for poisonous gas in confined space. But, unfortunately, here in Thailand it is cheaper for an employer to murder four workers than to buy a canary.

[Somtamnication]

In other countries they use a canary as an early warning system for poisonous gas in confined space. But, unfortunately, here in Thailand it is cheaper for an employer to murder four workers than to buy a canary.

You obviously don't read very well. Your username says it all.

[Thai at Heart]

I have refrained from posting after reading the first few posts and I seriously had to wait a few days for the dust to settle down and all the armchair safety specialists on tv go to sleep.

I have been privy to the going ons of this company for a while now. I have been in their meetings and I have worked with them. ETC and STC, as well as their parent company S.Pattana, are some of the most professional companies in Thailand. They have ISO certifications that also include safety certifications. Mickey Mouse Thai companies do not get ISO certifications.

The company in Phuket was working towards another safety ISO certification. These are not typical Thai companies. They are professional, caring and are involved in incredible amounts of training to their staff.

Fact. Each and every vehicle has equipment for testing air samples, water samples, oxygen tanks checked monthly, and industry standard (not substandard) gas masks. No, not bought at the local 7-11s.

Fact. The labour office yesterday inspected the equipment (I know, like they would know the difference between a barbie doll mask and real mask, but this is Thailand). All equipment was upto date, was the correct equipment and all was working. And all vehicles had them.

I have seen tears from the managers. These were not crocodile tears, the politician tears of being caught. But tears of sorrow and utter frustration of why these crew did not follow proper procedures when going under.

In the big meeting yesterday between all parties concerned and with multiple government agencies, it was proven and explained how this could have happened. It simply did not have to happen and the meeting was simply a pr stunt for the politicians who "always follow rules and regulations" themselves.

The crew. RIP. May they rest in peace.

For a lot of the tv posters here, you have never managed Thai staff. For those who have, myself included, we know how difficult it is. You can threaten, write up, fire them, but lessons are rarely learned. P&P are rarely acted upon and most Thai companies simply replace them, like candy.

The companies involved are super professional. The issue is, their staff not following procedure. It is that simple.

Fact. The equipment was in the vehicle!!!! If the volunteers and the "foundation", or police or a monkey had looked in the vehicle, THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND oxygen tanks, masks and testing equipment.

Fact. They did not!

Fact. One after the other, 8 people did not follow procedure, and because of that, 4 are dead and one is near death. This is so sad. It is so so sad for their families.

One only needs to drive in Thailand, the number 2 most dangerous country to drive a car in, to know that they themselves do not follow SIMPLE and effective procedures to not splatter their brains all over the place.

Once in their service trucks, it is not upto higher management to be there, watching. The 15 year veteran supervisor who passed away should have followed these procedures. He did not. Why not? Basic training 101...see a comrade down, call for help first, put on equipment and assist.

You see someone down, call for help, then help. So simple.

In conclusion, what this has taught Thais is...... nothing. Accidents like these will continue. But rest assured, additional training, along with threats of unemployment if safety standards are not followed, will be implemented at these companies.

Thank you for reading.

They are super professional but don't follow procedure??????

Sorry. But this says it all. Defending the professionalism of the company and qualifying it with that statement is well, stupid.

Its like saying Thailand has a professional police force, but the are corrupt to hell.

You cant be half professional in a life and death business.