Four workers die in Bangkok sewer

[webfact]

Four workers die in Bangkok sewer
By The Nation

 

Courtesy of Pirun 124 rescue unit

 

BANGKOK: -- Four workers drowned in a private firm’s wastewater sewer in Bangkok’s Bang Na district on Friday morning. 

 

Bang Na police were alerted at 10.45am that five workers were in danger in the wastewater-treatment pipe system at CPS Co in Soi 20 on Bang Na-Trat Road. 

 

Four of the workers died despite efforts to resuscitate them, while the fifth was rushed to hospital.

 

As of press time on Friday, police were inspecting the scene to try and determine the cause of the tragedy.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30318898

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-23

[ezzra]

Yeah,, no need to investigate, Hydrogen sulfide and methane caused

their quick lose of consciousness and repertory failure that in most cases

results in death.... they probably went down there without checking

for poisonous gases and without protections.... poor guys...

[johncat1]

Same thing happened last year ...Lessons learnt  = ZERO 

[paul18620]

Couldn't of had the correct tools for the jobs for example gas detector is required.

[nausea]

Or a canary.

[Beats56]

On my previous jobs wrote many confined space procedures. Continuous gas test for O2 and other gases. Two.radio contact with a posted guard. Safety belt if required to pull someone out in a hurry. Checklist for all involved.

Supply of fresh air via a air mover etc.

They here just don't have qualified personal and procedures to prevent these types of accidents in this country unless you work for big global companies that all.have standard operating procedures.

 

 

[lopburi3]

This appears to have been a rescue attempt by the four workers for a student who inadvertently fell into the sewer - and five people have died.

[yellowboat]

Besides having the right kind of detectors on them, could they not install them in certain points of the sewer ?  Sensors are becoming cheaper by the day. 

[xerostar]

Quote

This appears to have been a rescue attempt by the four workers for a student who inadvertently fell into the sewer - and five people have died.

A student fell into the sewer ?

 

How did that happen ?

 

If this is true, then 5 people have died because nobody bothered to place a barrier around the open sewer. 

 

Ignorance of basic safety and  lack of imagination by workers. leads to these types of tragedies again and again !

 

 

[alfredthegreat]

Where is the news about a student falling into it?

 

[Happyman58]

Safety equipment Was there any? Any checks done for the gas  Oh forgot Life is cheap in Thailand who cares anyway They will be replaced quickly

[Dave67]

Even the press are clue-less of the real dangers , drowned ?

[ChrisY1]

Such a common event here......no companies ever learn lessons....and more so if the lessons require costing.....CPF is an "elite" company,  and therefore will gain leniency from the authorities......nothing will happen to them and I'm sure the financial issues are being finalised right now........CPF will not give a fig!

Lessons learnt?.......Again zero!

[Panda13]

[Aussieroaming]

RIP, terrible tragedy

[Foozool]

Last year a few people learnt that they need to check for poison gas ☠️before entering the hole and today a few more people learnt not getting in a hole before checking for gas ☠️and next year a few people will learn about gas by more death ?and this story continues ‼️?

[Chou Anou]

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

Yeah,, no need to investigate, Hydrogen sulfide and methane caused

their quick lose of consciousness and repertory failure

                                                                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Does that mean they'll never act in a Bangkok theater production again? 

[William C F Pierce]

Unfortunately I doubt whether there is anyone in Thailand that  has confined space training, which does not just cover sewage working environments, but fresh water systems.  In a fresh water system it is possible to die from odourless fumes. As has happened with 3 people in the past dying one after the other in the UK on a building site.

 

NB A confined space is not necessarily a small enclosed space. It can be quite a large enclosed chamber or tunnel.

 

[katana]

According to the Post Today and BKK Biznews it was a poultry processing factory owned by CPF (Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc).
A Chula Veterinary student, 23 year old Panthika Tasuwan, on a field trip at the plant initially fell down the sewer. Four workers from the plant (2 men and 2 women) went to help her but all were overcome by fumes or lack of oxygen. Four died at the scene and one later in hospital.

[berybert]

11 hours ago, nausea said:

Or a canary.

They used a canary, they went looking for it after it failed to return.

These people have very little respect for their own lives let alone others.

 

[fordguy61mi]

I hear this story again and again. Why don't they learn? I have worked in confined spaces in the U.S. many times over the years and we always use proper PPE and sniff the space for gases before we go in. Crazy.

[lvr181]

A preventable accident. 'Nanny states' are not that bad after all.

 

Condolences to families and friends.

[manarak]

3 hours ago, katana said:

According to the Post Today and BKK Biznews it was a poultry processing factory owned by CPF (Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc).
A Chula Veterinary student, 23 year old Panthika Tasuwan, on a field trip at the plant initially fell down the sewer. Four workers from the plant (2 men and 2 women) went to help her but all were overcome by fumes or lack of oxygen. Four died at the scene and one later in hospital.

that story of course changes everything.

they rushed to help and paid with their life.

[IMA_FARANG]

I had a Thai Chinese friend who as a young boy began his work career cleaning septic tanks for his family's business.

He was the youngest and smallest of the family so that was his job....to go down into the septic tank after it had been pumped out to wash it down.

He survived it and later became the manager of a Guesthouse/hotel.

the last time I heard from him he had built  a new house for him and his family in Bangkok.

That was a good 27 years ago however

 

[Tug]

So sad and so preventable rip 

[lvr181]

4 hours ago, fordguy61mi said:

I hear this story again and again. Why don't they learn? I have worked in confined spaces in the U.S. many times over the years and we always use proper PPE and sniff the space for gases before we go in. Crazy.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump - crazy is as crazy does 

 

And is likely to happen again because who is learning.

[Estrada]

I have lived in Thailand for 23 years and ran a Waste Water Treatment and consultancy Company since 1974. Many Thai workers have died after entering sewers over the years and I have never seen breathing apparatus used or  available. C.P. Group is owned by the richest man in Thailand so he should make sure that it is "Safety First" as the slogan goes and not "Safety First, Death Second". 

[lopburi3]

In this case it was an accident (falling in of a student) and valiant attempts by official and security guards to rescue her (who likely would not have had such equipment even if available for normal servicing).   They lost there lives trying to save another.

[Rumbleg]

It might not be poisonous gases but the lack of oxygen.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, Rumbleg said:

It might not be poisonous gases but the lack of oxygen.

Quite right, it could have been lack of O2 or the presence of H2S.. but one thing is for certain, there was no consideration for Health and Safety at all - Confined entry is deadly, yet many laymen are completely unaware of the risks, in this case tragically so.