Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Labor's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) has released an educational report following the investigation into the drowning of a public works employee. The incident, which occurred in February 2023, involved a 20-year-old maintenance worker who drowned in a water main vault that flooded during repair efforts on a leaking valve.

The Deming Incident Report is intended as a learning resource for municipal water departments. IL OSHA identified several contributing factors to the incident, including non-compliance with confined space standards, inadequate management oversight and auditing, and insufficient rescue capabilities at the worksite.

"This incident highlights the importance of compliance with Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Act standards, proper risk assessment, and a rapid and effective rescue plan for confined space operations," stated IL OSHA Chief Erik Kambarian. He emphasized that employers must create a workplace culture where workers feel empowered to voice concerns if safety issues arise.

To prevent similar incidents, IL OSHA recommended implementing a compliant written confined space program, ensuring management oversight and auditing of operations, and establishing rapid rescue capabilities. The municipality involved was cited for seven violations of the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Act and received a hazard alert letter regarding confined space rescue procedures.

As part of their settlement agreement with IL OSHA, the municipality agreed to produce a training video on confined space safety specifically for water departments. IL OSHA aims to use these reports to share lessons learned with public bodies across Illinois.

In Illinois, occupational safety enforcement is managed jointly by federal OSHA under the U.S. Department of Labor for private sector workplaces and by IL OSHA for state and local government workplaces.