Dublin, UK – One worker has died and another is seriously ill after a confined space accident approximately 20ft below a housing estate in Portmarnock County, a suburb of Dublin. The men were employees of the drainage and cleaning company DrainTech, and were overcome by fumes while working in a sewer. The sewer was located in a residential area of Portmarnock called Drumnigh Woods.
Authorities confirmed two men were taken from the sewer, one of whom was pronounced dead at Beaumont Hospital while the second was said to be in a serious condition. Three members of Dublin Fire Brigade were also treated following the rescue efforts – two as a precaution for noxious gases and one who suffered a minor injury in the operation.
Two inspectors from the HSA were sent to the scene and an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the deaths by the Garda and the HSA. Their inquiries center on whether the men inhaled lethal fumes while working in underground pipes and sewerage systems. Fire crews reported the difficulty of the conditions that the men were working in, a confined space, below ground and at risk of dangerous gases.
The DrainTech company operates mostly in the Dublin region and has been in business for more than 20 years with staff qualified in confined space and deep manhole entry.
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