Health and Safety 

3 Workers Die in Underground Sewage Tank

firefighters and paramedics attempt to rescue workers from sewage tank
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Three men died after entering a sewage tank under a residential building in Kaohsiung City this afternoon.

At around 4:40pm, a worker named Lin, 30, entered the tank, but stopped responding to his coworkers above. Another worker, named Gao, 54, entered the tank to investigate. When Gao stopped responding to communications, the boss, also named Gao, 43, informed the building administrators, then entered the tank himself.

The three men were pulled out of the tank by firefighters at around 5:19pm, but had no signs of life, and were later declared dead at the hospital.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the men are suspected to have suffered hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Hydrogen sulfide levels were measured as high as 52ppm, five times over the maximum safety limit. There was no ventilation equipment present at the site.

firefighter enters sewage tank
A firefighter enters a sewage tank contaminated by hydrogen sulfide in an attempt to rescue 3 workers who succumbed to the toxic fumes in Kaohsiung City, May 7, 2018.
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