Confined Space Injuries

Confined Space Injuries

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A construction worker lost his right arm during a “trench cave-in” on Monday, November 3rd at a Lenexa construction site, according to the Lenexa Fire Department. 

Multiple agencies including The Lenexa Fire Department, units from Johnson County Med Act and the Lenexa Police Department all responded to the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center’s “confined space rescue” call. This call was later updated to a trench “cave-in rescue” while the officers were already en route to the location.  

The victim had already been removed from the trench by the time the first Lenexa police officer arrived on the scene. He rendered immediate first aid by applying a life-saving emergency tourniquet to the victim’s site of injury. The victim “sustained a full amputation of the right arm just below the shoulder,” according to the fire department, and has been transported to an area hospital for further treatment. This incident is still under further investigation.

According to OSHA, a confined space is a space large enough for an employee to enter and conduct work, but has limited means for entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous occupancy. According to the NIOSH, approximately 60 percent of confined-space fatalities were rescuers, and the OSHA reported that when multiple deaths occur during a rescue, 29 percent of the dead were supervisors, 31 percent had written Confined Space Entry procedures. 

These statistics have shown that we have not lowered the risk of confined space injuries and fatalities, which in turn tells us that there is no consistent focus on practical employee preparation, supervision, and protection before working in these spaces. A well-designed and executed rescue plan is a must. Employers must be held accountable for protecting their workers, responsibility must be delegated accordingly, and permits and procedures must be investigated thoroughly. 

For more information about how to implement checks and balances to mitigate confined space injuries risk, read EXP’s blog post “Confined Space – Where the Responsibility Falls”.