No Escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces

On October 2, 2007, five people were killed and three others injured when a fire erupted 1,000 feet underground in a tunnel at Xcel Energy Company's hydroelectric power plant in Georgetown, Colorado, located approximately 45 miles west of Denver. This CSB safety video explains how the accident occurred.

[@fixedit8689]

As a maintenance worker I was instructed to weld a crack in a flour hopper. I asked for ventilation equipment but was denied. I asked for a fire watch but was denied. I refused and was released of duty from the company. After six months and a sizeable payout, I was reinstated with back pay and benefits. Manager was released and today I’m the project manager and I spare no expense when it comes to worker safety

[@vickythefist7062]

Good for you. Glad you value your life a d spoke up . Good luck with your promotion 😊

[@silverdrillpickle7596]

🫡

[@jacko2265]

I’m surprised that they wouldn’t put ventilation on for you considering how much of a risk a dust explosion is with flour.

[@bryanleeyf87]

cool story bruh

[@simonsmith8196]

@@jacko2265 Yeah just look at Imperial Sugar's 2008 explosion, no joke.

[@Crifstar]

Safety first, unless it is going to cost money.

[@unclecreepy9202]

I think the main problem wasn’t about reducing cost, it was not knowing how dangerous it was.

[@jhoughjr1]

well a safer company wasnt chosen due to not being cheap.

[@streamfan6825]

these plants are not nearly as focused on "whats it gonna cost" as they are on "scheduling" and meeting deadlines... if you worked these plants you would allready know this... "Start Up" is the most important factor to a company... above all costs of "whats it gonna take to fix"... getting back on line on schedule IS the priority...

[@LastAvailableAlias]

Or the "What is the chance of anything happening?" attitude

[@kirknay]

what makes it terrifying to me is how a company at my USAR unit subscribes to the Koch Brothers' "Safety Third" policy. Basically, it's not up to regulations, safety briefs, or command to reduce risk as much as they can, it's up to you to do the work safely. If you removed a safety that increased productivity 5%, that's great. If you die doing so, it is your fault for ignoring safety protocol.

[@jimsvideos7201]

If absolutely nothing else, don't put all your flammable stuff between you and your only exit.

[@StachMan]

thats what i thought.... put all that in the back and work your way forward....

[@BTpaintballer]

And a good means of fighting the fire on hand if they had a 50 lbs fire extinguisher in tow this video wouldn't exist

[@medicbabe2ID]

You would think.

[@sleepyburr]

I was thinking the exact same thing. If you *have* to use it, put it at the back and keep it there. At least that way there’s nothing between you and the exit. (Although sending people into an enclosed area with only one exit is pretty unwise in the first place)

[@G.Sharb1]

Yeah and Then every 10 mins you have to stop what you’re doing, get down from your scaffolding, go and move your machine and 10+ full 5 gal buckets another 20’ or so.. they’d spend more time moving the shit then painting.

[@LandonRoy-cv9rt]

I’m an industrial painter, that scared the shit out of me, I’m seriously surprised these guys used MEK, we refuse to use it period at anytime, it’s insanely strong stuff

[@Drewg351]

You're not kidding about MEK. Holy Shit that stuff has hellacious fumes. Shits BRUTAL.

[@prjndigo]

you transport it and use it inside snuff cans so you can suffocate it. If you want to scream and pull your hair out look for my comment in the main comments on the video.

[@deepdivedisco4779]

How is it that the contractors weren't aware of the dangers of using MEK, especially considering it's a flammable compound?

[@obfuscated3090]

Education in the trades is poor and high school doesn't have shop classes much nowadays. Paint crews aren't skilled people or they would not be in that shit job in the first place because it's so toxic and dangerous. Most people don't know anything about anything or want to learn. The people watching this video are in the minority!

[@samluke8121]

How can I become an industrial painter?

[@johndoyle4723]

Sends shivers down my spine. I worked many years in the chemical industry, and hated confined space entry permits, if I signed one, I would always be present on site to supervise, and would not relax until everyone out safely. Glad to be out of the industry without hurting anyone, a fatality would have been too much for me to live with..

[@schooper.]

John Doyle the industry needs more people like you who actually care, kept lives safe by going the extra mile to ensure things got done right, much respect man

[@TungstenCarbideProjectile]

The people entering the confined space are responsible for there own lives. If someone had died on your watch it would not be your fault. Appreciate your sentiment though and much agreed we're in need of more people like you.

[@katiekane5247]

@@TungstenCarbideProjectile try demanding safety in a "right to work" state. You do unsafe things if you want to keep being able to support your family. If you complain or refuse, you're fired. No reason need be given.

[@sarowie]

Kind of sad that the people that are most worried about safety leave the field because of all the implications, leaving it to people that either do not recognize or ignore the risks. Absolutely understandable, but at the same time scary that this results in high risk, low paying jobs without safety supervision.

[@randyweaver6543]

Katie Kane not in our right to work state.

[@phillip_mcguinness7025]

Not only were they using MEK in a confined space, they were ATOMIZING it with spray guns. Insane.

[@bluejedi723]

that doesn't sound safe

[@deansqwilliams8821]

They didnt say that the men atomized it. When you clean a spray pump you loosen the nozzle so that it comes out in a jet.

[@elena6516]

@@deansqwilliams8821 and at the edges of that jet the flow is turbulent and atomizes in the atmosphere. Hence, they were atomizing the MEK inadvertently.

[@DotADBX]

@@deansqwilliams8821 whenever pumping any chemical via pressure regardless of the stream size some atomization will occur as well as general vapor release. its also important to note that chemicals like MEK and other paint thinners/cleaners used in industrial applications have extremely low temperature flash off points typically ranging from 10-25+ degrees C

[@DotADBX]

I am an industrial painter and have been for some time what amazes me is the fact that they should just know better just because of basic training as well as any experience in the trade at all, second mek is an extremely volatile chemical in a confined space such as a penstock vapors coming off cleaning a paint sprayer like that would create such a high amount of LEL's so quickly that I am surprised they didnt actually pass out due to a lack of oxygen. I suspect that this company had very little industrial experience to begin with and likely had never actually used MEK before thus had become hypoxic and actually started to lose proper coherent thought and got so high they didnt even know what they were doing any more. once the fire happened and their adrenaline jacked up to max they partially regained thought and basically panic'ed at that point since they were basically fucked and didnt know what to do. They likely could have survived if they just ran through the flames regardless of getting burned, but due to the complete incompetence of their company the client and basically everyone involved 5 people died for no god damn reason. Lessons to be learned; 1: Never work any where before being fully trained and supervised by a "COMPETENT" supervisor. 2: Always have a rescue plan for worse case scenario before entering a confined space. 3: Always monitor air for LEL's and oxygen in confine spaces continuously while work is being preformed in a confined space. 4: if you are bringing flammable chemicals into a confined space 1: don't, 2: if you must have a fucking fire extinguisher. 5: Just don't be stupid, stupid.

[@casuallistener833]

These remind me so much of cold case files or something like that. This guys voice rocks.

[@pepsicola6951]

Im with u

[@blitzthespittah3712]

hell yeah, forensic files vibes for sure

[@simonpeter5032]

I'm bill curtis

[@totallyfrozen]

Sheldon Smith. I can listened this voiceover artist all day. 👍🏻 Forensic Files was narrated by Peter Thomas (R.I.P.). This voice is not Bill Curtis either.

[@npc1199]

what a man

[@-GrimEngineer-1337]

As soon as he said MEK I was like, they brought THAT in THERE? WTF?

[@anthonyagnelneri4076]

Grim Engineer I agree..i thought the same thing..been around it nasty shit..threw a gallon of it away that belonged to my dad...he was pissed for a year...

[@jhoughjr1]

it seems they had buckets and buckets of the stuff.

[@sup2069]

That stuff is no joke. Will dry the fuck out your hands if you get it on them.

[@whatevernamegoeshere3644]

It's practically the same as having open buckets of petrol. MEK has a stupid strong tendency to evaporate and ignite. It's also very similar to acetone. If I was told to do that, I would have walked out and never go to work again

[@r0cketplumber]

@@whatevernamegoeshere3644 The flash point of MEK is -9 C. It is *guaranteed* to produce flammable ground-hugging vapors under any but extreme arctic conditions. Open containers inside a tunnel have two legs of the fire triangle already in place, criminally negligent. I worked safely for years with Exxsol D40 solvent as a rocket fuel, and one of the reasons we used it was that its flash point is only reached on the hottest days in the Mojave desert- and we never put it into open containers.

[@bigpapi3636]

It's disappointing how some companies preach safety until it comes to saving a few dollars. Unforgivable.

[@katiekane5247]

Some? ALL corporations are legally bound to produce maximum profit. Our lives have only a monetary value to them & if paying the families off is less than being safe, we see which one they cloose. Hell, slaves were at least given housing!

[@Morbing_Time]

Thanks to my union I am able and obligated to refuse any assignment that is too risky 😎

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

​@@katiekane5247you had me until that last sentence. Don't make that kind of comparison. Slave owners were allowed to kill their slaves outright. A disgusting history.

[@Adam_U]

@@WouldntULikeToKnow. The only reason employers don't kill staff is because it's bad for business.

[@peterborg3340]

It seems, the comments are from people living in capitalistic countries.

[@franciscoosuna259]

let me guess, the low bid contractor got the job.

[@charlesmcguffy]

Would you like a job in government contracting?

[@eldoabrahamson]

ILLEGALS? Oh please. Not this shit again...

[@daverhodes382]

john S Tool.

[@squires9906]

why would you need to guess when the video tells you that

[@ElTurbinado]

Uh yes, that’s how bidding works and why it exists.

[@1978garfield]

Interesting thing about this case is how it went down legally. RPI Coating plead guilty, paid several million in fines and compensation and will get another $2.5 million in fines and criminal charges if they violate OSHA in the next 5 years. Xcel went to court and was found not guilty on all charges. I did find that Xcel paid millions to the next of kin in civil cases. As long as companies can go with the lowest bidder and then just say "It's the contractor's fault" these kind of accidents will keep happening. I have an easier time understanding how some small contractor can be ignorant of OSHA regs than some large corporation. In this case they even knew that RPI had a poor safety record and not only gave them the job, they provided no supervision.

[@BustedWalletGarage]

1978garfield that's why we hire contractors. They're modern day slaves. Let them take the risk.

[@HobbyOrganist]

RPI didn't pay anything, their INSURANCE did.

[@wpyoga]

Why is RPI Coating guilty and not the workers themselves?

[@matthewfarrell317]

Sorry, this is what contractors are for. The company goes we need X done, it requires Y skills of which we have none in the company, so they hire a contractor with Y skills to get X done. The company can only identify that there is a basic overall hazard as they are not trained for it, or know what to look for. The contractor, they should be able to identify hazards, know the regulations and be able to do risk management. They are overall responsible for the management of the job. They were hired for it. Also for a lot of these specialist jobs, they tend to be licensed by a government body to do such work. Hence why RPI was done in court and Xcel wasn't, Xcel on paper went and hired an accredited contractor.

[@katiekane5247]

Cost benefit analysis comes before saving lives, capitalism at it's finest!

[@adlwilliams]

Me: dang work was dangerous in the 80s Narrator: "in 2007....." Me: oh😳

[@jayswarrow1196]

Pretty ironic, that unsafe jobs kept men alert back in the day, while modern safety measures make them slack and careless..

[@OrangeBluejay]

@@jayswarrow1196 That's what's wrong with today's world: too much workplace safety. If only we could regress so that 8-Year-Olds could die of black lung like god intended.

[@jackasslawyer]

EXACTLY what went through my brain. Hi five 🤚

[@briantannenbaum8110]

They have new vids still coming out to this day

[@bigmac92]

@@jayswarrow1196 Spot on

[@PaulSteMarie]

This wasn't an accident-it was depraved indifference murder. The company knew the contractor was unqualified and hired it regardless..

[@mudchair16]

Murder requires an element of malice.

[@baloog8]

@@mudchair16 gross negligence. Although perhaps one can argue malice in an omnipresent ill will against all humans. Is not caring if someone dies malicious? It seems like passive malice. Whatever. Like words can ever accurately describe what my guts screams is fucked up.

[@jhoughjr1]

Gooper Loper i feel ya. idk why im watching this. im angry about another place and time.

[@alexanderbreitschaedel9070]

@@mudchair16 That is right Schlomo but I see that malice part it is GREED

[@TheKlever666]

Capitalism baby!

[@givitillithurt]

I worked for a company that acted like that contractor. I would always bring up safety concerns because of these videos, but he would never act on them. We did Ariel work 185ft+. On my way out the door I contacted osha and they got involved. New company actually takes safety seriously

[@news_internationale2035]

FedEx had bullshit safety committees for workers where the supervisors would brush things off. Probably still going on.

[@juicebox22a]

My old workplace safety moto was NO JOB IS SO IMPORTANT and NO SERVICE IS SO URGENT THAT WE CANNOT TAKE THE TIME TO PERFORM OUR WORK SAFELY. NOW....? "Fix it fast and pray it lasts" is the current safety moto.

[@johnarmenta2199]

Before my company awards a contract, we have a pre-bid meeting. When I am asked the summarize the project, THE FIRST THING I SAY: "Everyone in my company has the right to STOP WORK. And if you are told to STOP WORK by any of my employees, OR ANY OF YOUR employees, you WILL!! stop work, and assess the situation. If a STOP WORK order is ignored, I will have my Purchasing department pull your bond, the contract will be canceled, and you will be dismissed from the premises. Further, if any of your employees are not working safely, I will demand that you send them home - NOT so much as a punishment, but to remind them that they, and the people they work with, have FAMILIES that depend on them. I prefer you be home with your family than be on one of my jobs being a safety hazard." AFTER my company awards a contract, we have a pre-construction meeting. When I am asked to summarize the project, THE FIRST THING I SAY: "Everyone in my company has the right to STOP WORK. And if you are told to STOP WORK by any of my employees, OR ANY OF YOUR employees, you WILL!! stop work, and assess the situation. If a STOP WORK order is ignored, I will have my Purchasing department pull your bond, the contract will be canceled, and you will be dismissed from the premises. Further, if any of your employees are not working safely, I will demand that you send them home - NOT so much as a punishment, but to remind them that they, and the people they work with, have FAMILIES that depend on them. I prefer you be home with your family than be on one of my jobs being a safety hazard."

[@hotrodmercury3941]

"Safety is our priority. If you notice something wrong, stop the operation and tell a supervisor." **stops operation because a panel is open on the aircraft and its engines are running** Manager: WHY DID YOU STOP THE OPERATION NOW (airline) IS GOING TO BE PISSED. WE HAVE A DELAY NOW OMG **Gets sick and cant come to work bc Covid** Manager: UR LYING IM HOLDING UR PAY WHERE ARE MED RECORDS

[@Rejoice.]

Never let someone rush you when the job you are doing could have lives depending on it.

[@hotrodmercury3941]

@@Rejoice. exactly.

[@boballmendinger3799]

Lol, I know where thats from! MSOC will fix it, though!

[@schooper.]

The sad thing is osha regulations are heavily enforced in entry level manual labor jobs when some don’t make sense and simple common sense should be used instead, but in actual industrial work places they are pretty much ignored and looked over by supervisors and the company as a whole when risk of death is 100x greater

[@RobinTheBot]

Because small firms have less lawyers and big firms have more enticing bribes/community presence. OSHA is made of people too.

[@eclecticmn4838]

This was a simple case. In many chemical plant cases the OSHA people do not have the background to spot dangers.

[@TiberianFiend]

Painters can bring extremely flammable solvent into a confined space, but god forbid someone leave an empty pallet on its side. OSHA will be right up your ass.

[@sarowie]

@@eclecticmn4838 It is not just chemical. I know an electrical company with very strict OSHA policies, but the OSHA people have in practice two issues: Issue 1: They are checking paper work, not the side where the work is done. Issue 2: The are not A Tier engineers. Combining both means that they only find risks that are pre-pointed out by supervisor and design engineers and only force mitigation actions that are suggested/implied to them (lack of creativity to see additional hazards and alternate solutions). I remember that the company build a transformer with a labeled 60V AC output and an ampere meter next do it into the double digits. Did anyone think of covering up the output terminals? No. Did anyone think of supplying at least an insulated safety wrench? No. Tools are bought on side as needed by the on side crew (that also lacked in training - proven by the fact that they used the equipment). One of the many risk then was that the wrench can short out the output terminals. And that was just one design flaw cooperate OSHA has overlooked. It continued with mains powered equipment, where touchable metal did not have a defined electrical connection to Protective Earth (Steel screws into Aluminum can have fine oxide layer, acting as insulation). Protective Equipment (GFI) not tested after assembly nor on side (despite the GFI manual calling for at least using the self check function after moving the equipment). Using aluminum bars, when the manual of the Fuse specifically warns against that on page 1 (due to oxidization and the metal creeping/deforming - yeah you could grease it and retighten it, but ... those extra steps are unnecessary when they would have used chopper) - ironically the fuse being a product of a sister company.

[@anthyman1]

Not all OSHA regulations make sense because they're designed to protect against as many weird freak accidents as they can. They're not trying to make a certain action safer, they're trying to eliminate all conceivable ways of fucking it up.

[@ElTurbinado]

It seems like placing the sprayer equipment ahead of them might of helped too, since it wouldn’t have blocked their escape. I am surprised the csb didn’t make a recommendation about maintaining a clear path to the exit when possible.

[@johnlesaint4105]

@@tripplefives1402 Seems feasible.

[@patrickgardner2204]

@@tripplefives1402 if that were the case, wouldn't they be rolling over the paint anyways dragging it behind them?

[@jonbridge6442]

@@tripplefives1402 lol start at the other end and work back

[@revimfadli4666]

@@jonbridge6442 *MIT wants to know your location*

[@snoopdogie187]

I'm really surprised they didn't work from the top and work their way down. Yeah, it would suck getting all the equipment in, but I would do it just for the simple fact that you do not ever have to walk through that space ever again. The added benefit that you can also work with an escape plan is also just perfect.

[@TheShockwaveDragon]

7:13 -- I feel so bad for those poor guys having died after 45 minutes of terror, alone, in the dark, knowing they were going to die. The shot of the lone little hard hat on the floor next to the bottles of air really bummed me the f*** out. Damn man, talk about a truly poignant way of showing the concept of "too little, too late" where the regulatory changes after the incident were involved.

[@TheShockwaveDragon]

Although I've never worked inside of a confined space and I'll hopefully never have to work inside of a mine/tunnel like this one, I've spent my working life as a grunt just like one of these guys. To think that they were innocently oblivious to the fact that upper management knowingly sent them into a situation where they knew they could die and just didn't care is haunting to me; it almost feels like that could be MY hard hat on that tunnel floor some day.

[@Danuxsy]

@@TheShockwaveDragon To be honest, I think the workers themselves could have prevented this to some extend like. Why didn't they start at the very back and move outwards? Having the flammable material on the inside instead of closer to the exit. Also, why did they put all the flammable material so close together, could have kept some future away just in case. also, if they had fire extinguishers they could probably keep the fire at bay long enough for the others to run past and get out. They could also have put oxygen tanks at the far end of the tunnel just in case this happened but nope.

[@ccllvn]

@@TheShockwaveDragon I know what you mean, the moment at 6:52 sent shivers down my spine when the guy put his radio down. I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy. And it makes me thankful for my office job, where I would not encounter any of this, ever. I'm annoyed at an email while some guy has to mess with dangerous chemicals 1400feet in a mine...insane. I have respect for these guys, even if things went wrong. You always know better after, that doesn't change the fact that these people had to die on their job. ​ RIP and hopefully all measures are taken to prevent accidents like this in the future.

[@vincentvalentine9417]

And for what?! To paint a stupid fucking pipe wall? It's not like he was rescuing a child in danger. They were fucking painting. It's so infuriating when it's so preventable.

[@DanksterPaws]

@@Danuxsy How would starting at the very back help? If they have the flammable material infront of them, they’d still be stuck. Did you mean they should have put the material further into the tunnel than them so they have an escape, the problem being is this. If they start at the back, working their way closer to the front then the material will be dragging over the newly coated walls. If they started from the front, then it would almost work, but once they finish the back they’re gonna have to drag the material outside once more over newly coated walls.

[@dorianjames9798]

I worked for RPI and knew the guys that were killed! Rest In Peace ✌🏿my union brothers

[@davetorrez2930]

dorian james R I P..... these dumb safety boards will pay

[@jquest43]

dorian james couldn't the ventilation tubes been put in reverse,and the smoke sucked out???

[@jhoughjr1]

jquest43 hindsight is 20/20. perhaps they couldnhave used a large fan to pull air back through thenexit and burn off thr MEK

[@captainsaucer]

I always wondered the same, park a chopper over top the pinstock and use fans at the bottom.

[@samiraperi467]

Or just a fan above the work site and an exhaust fan at the entrance. A chopper probably pushes most of the air not in the pipe and given air's compressibility it'll probably be a minimal benefit hundreds of yards away.

[@literoadie3502]

My dad used to work at an oil refinery. He used to tell us a story of a gigantic fire that started, ironically, as result of a fire training exercise gone horrifically wrong due to a extremely painfully dumb mistake*. The fire grew so large that workers couldn't stare at it from a pretty long distance away (don't know exactly). Anyway most of the fire response units available anywhere near the refinery rushed there, and apparently a big problem was that lots of barrels of MEK were stacked near where the fire had started, and were starting to get hot from the radiant heat, and the firemen were trying desperately to keep them cool by spraying water on them. For some reason they couldn't get to them to move them away, I guess because of the heat, otherwise I'm sure they would have. He says the fire was so large that it was visible from the rooftop of the headquarters of the company in the city tens of kilometers away. The rainwater over the city was apparently black the next day. *Apparently the fire was started when a small mock fire used to demonstrate fire extinguishers to some new guys got blown (by the fire extinguisher blast and/or wind) into a massive open waste sump, with all kinds of flammable petroleum waste in it. This massive pool of flammable liquid (I struggle to understand the arrangement, but I'm sure it existed) very quickly started to go up in flames. Why they decided to start a fire near this massive open mass of flammable waste, and why the potential for some kind of fire starting in this waste sump wasn't in the forefront of everybody's mind, is beyond me) This waste sump, by the description, seems to have had a surface area of hundreds of meters, and was a few meters deep. Another horror story: An access door to a gigantic storage tank was open and a worker was inside for some kind of maintenance (this was a heated tank with coils I'm told, but I'm not familiar with this kind of stuff, so sorry if anything I've written sounds off). He was deep inside on the floor of this massive tank doing some kind of work, when they decided the tank was needed in service, and the access door was shut (unaware that someone was in there) and the tank flooded with whatever hot petroleum substance they stored in there. There was no immediate indication that anything was wrong, but after the guy's family inquired about his not coming home, and after some digging the realization was made that maybe he had been trapped in there, and upon emptying the tank remains of his boots and tools were found. To this day I haven't heard of a more chilling and gut wrenching way to die (the only things that surpass this are intentional killings by torture). Just imagine the moment when you realized you are trapped in there, the horror, the complete feeling of powerlessness...makes my skin crawl every once in a while I'm reminded of it.

[@rachelstratman1405]

The WORST thing I ever heard! Haunting..... would be interested in the safety follow up on that one. 😰

[@noahater5785]

@@rachelstratman1405 When you mentioned a waste pit full of flammable petroleum waste on fire due to a training exercise on how to use a fire extinguisher gone horribly wrong, the only thing I can visualize is an utterly ginormous wall of fire, that’s terrifying 😳

[@rachelstratman1405]

@@noahater5785 I was thinking of the guy inside the tank too....from a child, I have been oddly freaked out by tanks of all sorts, even on milk trucks. You'd never get me INSIDE one of them unless Godzilla was waiting on the outside!

[@conspiracy_risk7526]

That's truly horrifying. The system that pumped hot petroleum into the tank should have been locked out / tagged out. An utter failure of fundamental safety rules.

[@Daktangle]

@@conspiracy_risk7526 Based on other CSB videos, you just know a supervisor would have allowed a password override anyway.

[@jessicacallahan9711]

Soooo scary I did this type of work. I often thought it was over kill when on certain jobs I had someone who’s only job was to follow me around with an oxygen meter. Feeling lucky I worked on sites that people actually gave a f.

[@neurofiedyamato8763]

It do be like that... Feels unnecessary and inconvenient but regulations and rules are written in blood.

[@natestinson69]

I’m from Canada. I work on oil pipeline and we aren’t allowed to do any work even near the pipes unless their is a rescue team with your crew. Seeing this is just sad and baffling

[@BristolianMinor]

Companies always seem to say "Safety is our number one priority" or some such thing. Well, giving it a 5% weighting when choosing a contractor is sort of.... the opposite of that (seeing as price was given 15%). 10:12

[@jfbeam]

Not being sued is the #1 priority. Contractor safety is the job of the contractor. When I hire Bob to do a job, I'm counting on Bob (and his insurance) to do the job safely. If he kills his employees, that's his problem.

[@xxxggthyf]

I wouldn't want to try 'that's his problem' as a defence in court.

[@davilathegreat]

jfbeam is going to be in one of their next videos...

[@sango_wango851]

Anthony Handcock you wouldn't have to, because if someone tried to sue over a situation like that it would get thrown out before a trial.

[@xxxggthyf]

Not in the UK it wouldn't.

[@frog7589]

Having watched several confined space training videos for work I've learned that confined spaces are no joke and you never want to have to enter one for any reason. I've never seen a confined space safety video that didn't make them seem terrifying.

[@andybub45]

What’s scary is that when these companies testified, they tried to hide everything. They knew the danger.

[@ElTurbinado]

How tragic... of all the csb videos this one really gets to me...

[@lyfitzgerald6466]

I almost cried I was close to it poor souls had nothing they could do..

[@user-wc9vy4oc5h]

Me too. It must have been terrible for the workers that survived still communicating with the ones trapped inside and knowing that they can do nothing to help them. But I'm quite shocked the local fire department couldn't rescue them. Why it had to happen? Around my hometown even local volunteer firefighters are trained for confined space rescue and are equipped so they can operate in dense smoke.

[@deezelfairy]

Once again, money before people's lives. Flammable substances can be used relatively safely in this environment if proper protocols are followed. Breathing apparatus as standard ppe, gas detection systems, all equipment ATEX zone 1 rated (spraying solvents in a confined space is going to be an explosive atmosphere a lot of the time). You only have to remove one part of the fire triangle to prevent a fire like this. And most importantly a prepared and rehearsed escape procedure. ....But it's costs money

[@obfuscated3090]

Using fucking MEK in that area was insane. The stuff is barely safe to use outdoors. The proper course of action was to remove the gear and clean it outside. I'm stunned that basic safety precautions every noob G.I. in Paint Shop knows before they touch equipment wasn't known by the crew. The more I watch these video the more it confirms my post-retirement civilian work experience that Joe Sixpack is a moron on a good day. MEK? In a tunnel? That's Darwin award material.

[@commodoresixfour7478]

@@obfuscated3090 Dam right, I used MEK at my first job and was explained how flammable it was. Supposedly it can ignite from across the room if you light a cigarette from the opposite side. BTW this company I worked for was not the safest but at least I understood the danger of that stuff!

[@2loco]

As a confined space worker, this makes me really sad. I feel very sorry for the families of the poor lives lost. 😪

[@legitbeans9078]

U still alive bro?

[@2loco]

@@legitbeans9078 still here lol.

[@salj.5459]

That's a snoring emoji, not a crying one. Everyone uses it incorrectly

[@2loco]

@salj.5459 sure whatever makes you happy... try opening your eyes every now and then.

[@salj.5459]

@@2loco Rude response. You're the one who's blind. You can clearly see that the bubble is not coming out of the emoji's eye, but right above the mouth where the nose would be.

[@baloog8]

Coal mines spend millions to prevent just such a thing. These guys just brought it in!

[@briangarrow448]

I have nightmares about this type of disaster. I worked over 40 years in boilers, petrochemical and wastewater treatment plants and saw far too many safety violations. And we just elected a guy who thinks there are too many safety regulations and inspectors. Thank goodness I don't have to work anymore. If you work in confined spaces, for your own sake, be willing to refuse to work if things don't look safe. No job is worth dying for.

[@MIKEKELLEY12000]

When did Trump say this? Safety regulations are important, but much of the over-regulation of the US is not safety related. In my workplace, we have a zillion rules about entering combined spaces. This contractor was a joke, and the power company that hired him was too for letting them get away with having this much MEK in a tunnel with not even a fire extinguisher or SCBAs.

[@ElTurbinado]

Mike Kelley he didn’t say that but ya know, nobody read past wapo headlines.

[@ItsMeUrDaad]

go away boomer

[@commodoresixfour7478]

@@MIKEKELLEY12000 I paused the video at the MEK part. Yeah, my first factory job involved using it. We stored it in a ventilated paint storage room. That shit will ignite itself.

[@cinquine1]

Considering he's now proposed eliminating the entire CSB in both the 2018 and the 2019 budget, I'd say Brian's comment is justified. With that being said politicians from both side as well as industry support the existence of the CSB, so it probably won't happen, but still it does show his opinions.

[@villedocvalle]

This is a reminder that as a worker, always ask questions and never put yourself in a dangerous situation.

[@jamesrussell2936]

and if you think you might die, just quit.

[@Serostern]

When working with flammable chemicals inside a confined space - bring a few scbas and a fire extinguisher. You can have a bottle of oxygen and a 15kg drychem extinguisher on a decent dolly.

[@ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Given the mention of a failed effort from the workers on the other side of the flames to fight them with extinguishers, it seems probable that the proper sort of extinguisher wasn't even present. To my knowledge, under those circumstances you're better off trying to smother with sand or dirt.

[@syncopowerstations]

The effects of the fumes in that environment probably affected judgement when it came to decisions leading up to the event, and reaction during the event. At least one person there commented on the fumes. They must have been overwhelming. They'd worked around volatile substances before, no doubt, but I think they did not realize how working in a completely enclosed space like that with only two openings, each a long way from where the were working. The regulations governing these working conditions are developed from and anticipatory towards exactly these kinds of events. If a job like this can't be done properly, if there aren't ample funds to do it right, the job shouldn't be discussed.

[@TestTubeGub-GubSnailman]

The guys were animated with respirators on. I'll assume that since they didn't comment on it they likely did have them. Those OV respirators work well with MEK. You can still smell them faintly with a good seal and filter sometimes.

[@tommypetraglia4688]

Open cans of MEK in a tunnel? I would only put on enough to wet a rag. And without breathing apparatus? But that would have done nothing to mitigate vapor build up in the tunnel. There was not nearly enough fresh air/vapor exchange especially with the careless and sloppy use of solvent Safety protocol or not, the entire application seemed completely wrong. Perhaps the maintenance required went beyond a coating application and that section of penstock needed to be excavated and replaced. It did say it was a steel section If that was cost prohibitive then the facility had reached the end of its useful life. I was on site at Seabrook Nuclear Station under construction in the mid 80's and all service water and utility lines first laid as the construction being have a service life of 40 years. Invariably a variance is always filed to extend service and invariably it is always granted As it seems the attempt at a coating fix seemed to be a stopgap at best.

[@Luvurenemy]

Tommy Petraglia I wonder why the epoxy wasn’t adhering to the steel wall of the tunnel?

[@sarahfarley9554]

I'm amazed they didn't just cut a second exit in the pipe. What ya gonna do...ignite the fumes? Oh wait, that's done already. Might as well get the guys out.

[@phillip_mcguinness7025]

It wasn't just open cans. They were flushing the spray guns with it and atomizing it in the process.

[@airplanemaniacgaming7877]

@@sarahfarley9554 "But muh money, and schedules and other dumb excuses!" Fucking bigwigs who dont care about people. THATS why.

[@randyweaver6543]

Airplane Maniac Gaming the idiots using mek to flush spray guns in a damn tunnel with zero ventilation. Yeah bigwigs held them at gunpoint and said do it. Wake up

[@bkroko]

KZbin recommendations are one hell of a mystery

[@uraldamasis6887]

10:11 The safety records of the companies were given a 5 percent weighting in the RFP! 5%!

[@Xezlec]

It shouldn't be based on "weighting" at all. If they can't do the job safely, they're unqualified and shouldn't be considered, regardless of any other factors.

[@flailios]

In Australia there is no differentiation between permit & non-permit CSE. Confined space entry = risk assessment & permit. It's like that for this exact reason, the workers bought a flammable material into the space which technically made it a "permit confined space" under the US system. My risk assessment would have also included constant atmosphere monitoring for H2S, despite the use of flammable solvents and the testers would have alerted at 10% LEL, at which point you gtfo and the permit is voided.

[@jquest43]

flailios you run 3 foot tubing to the work location then suck put the vapors

[@sadelsor]

In Australia they cannot tell when its raining, when I worked on Bougainville Island the unions could not decide when it was raining to enable workers to get so called wet money, at the union meeting one bright young lad actually stood up and said, thats easy mate, yer get yer ciggy paper out, put it on the ground, when it has 5 spots on it, its raining, can you believe that, wonder where he is now ? probably the union leader !!

[@jasonjamrs7413]

We are strictly very strict with our safety I love our rules and regulations that we have sometimes it's overkill for a for small job

[@m2heavyindustries378]

@@sadelsor "Australia"- "Bougainville Island" yes, just like Puerto Rico is the US right? Guess americans really don't know their geography from their ass.

[@kenroywalker5641]

This had disaster written all over it from the very beginning.

[@exMuteKid]

chemical safety is one of the most important forms of safety, every aspect of this accident just blows my mind.

[@lucipaluci]

thank you for recommending this to me youtube I was just about to enter a hydroelectric plant tunnel but now i will think twice

[@tomnason]

Thanks to this video I've put lids on the barrels of MEK that I keep in my basement 🙏

[@joelschermerhorn5447]

One other point: the chemicals were kept in the center of the tunnel's work area. The chemicals should have been kept ahead of the workers, not at the center of the work area. Then if fire or conditions IDLH existed, they would have been able to escape when fire broke out. "You must always keep an exit at your back, be able to reach the nearest exit, and know where it's located." This is some of the annual general training we go through at work. I did not see an atmospheric condition monitor near the work area or an active confined space attendant. The attendant is supposed to monitor the conditions of the confined space and make sure the occupant(s) of the confined space is/are safe, and communicate at least once per minute, if not several times per minute to make sure the atmosphere and worker(s) is/are safe. Inside the space, one worker's solitary job should have been to monitor the atmospheric monitor and check on his coworkers to make sure they were okay. When the atmosphere reached a dangerous level, they should all have gotten out and waited for the atmosphere to clear before continuing on. Then if the fire had broken out, the workers would have been exit-side to the fire with no fatalities.

[@yeeturmcbeetur8197]

So you’re telling me, they had all that room behind the working area into that tunnel and they didn’t think to put the explosive shit behind them instead of in between them and the ONLY exit in an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONFINED SPACE?!?!

[@jmd1743]

yeah, a golf cart would had saved those lives. They carried that stuff into the tunnel because it was a long walk.

[@neonbunnies9596]

They would've been stepping or interacting with the wet paint I think

[@Jehty21]

They painted a pipe. So it's safe to assume that they also painted the floor. Putting your stuff on a freshly painted floor is not the best idea.

[@neonbunnies9596]

They would've been walking forward with the cart. Therefore, there would've likely had the cart behind as they painted in front of them.

[@DanksterPaws]

Did you mean they should have put the material further into the tunnel than them so they have an escape, the problem being is this. If they start at the back, working their way closer to the front then the material will be dragging over the newly coated walls. If they started from the front, then it would almost work, but once they finish the back they’re gonna have to drag the material outside once more over newly coated walls.

[@jcraigshelton]

The fact that the workers could smell MEK despite having respirators on tell me also that they had inadequate filters on the respirators. Aerosolizing a solvent in a confined space typically means wearing a self contained breathing apparatus with an independent air supply is a mandatory thing. No wonder that company had a poor safety profile. That’s just plain dumb.

[@robertbenoit5374]

I am guessing that their safety record took a huge hit after this incident and the loss of 5 people which should have been zero loss. Tragic but preventable and the reason why there needs to be better oversight for things like this.

[@maestrovso]

The high level executives of Xcel and the contracting company need to be sent to confined spaces for the rest of their lives.

[@EcoBoostd]

This is actually really sad. Just makes you think how many of these precautionary procedures came to be because of someone dying.

[@matthewwilson5019]

Look at the airline industry, now there's an industry that has rules and regulations written in blood

[@civotamuaz5781]

All of them

[@TheeSlickShady]

I worked oilfield for 20 years I’ve sat through countless safety videos, especially confined space This video hit me harder than all the videos I’ve ever seen in confined space. Ever. This event was a true catastrophe of an accident with fatal consequences My heart goes out to all the lives this incident affected ❤

[@josephguevara8617]

My dad worked for RPI/robinson p./cor ray for 30 years. He was supposed to be on this job. These were his friends. His testimony is in the papers. Regulations save lives.

[@saulgoode1218]

As a former painter, first and foremost.. you ALWAYS vent the space. Blowers behind you, fans at the entrance. Secondly... if the medium isn’t adhering to the surface after addressing the mix.. it’s the surface, not the tools. After the second try, and failure, they should have exited the space and addressed it with the plant personnel.

[@StrangeScaryNewEngland]

As much as OSHA and other government safety agencies can suck and seem annoying, anyone working in a dangerous job knows that these regs are in place for reasons exactly like this. I am beyond grateful that in this day agencies like those exist. (And yes, I do realize OSHA failed in this instance but there are thousands of other incidents that would have been much worse without them.)

[@Contra1828]

I actually went with my brother into a space shaped exactly like that. It was a storm drain, and proceeded to get steeper and more narrow until we could proceed no further.

[@KKhhoorrnniittee]

Notice the way he smiled while talking about "... that ... IDLH, you are required to have a rescue team on site ..."

[@thetreblerebel]

Shows how fast a situation can turn life threatening. So sad

[@itsonlyafleshwound9024]

If you dont have the budget to do something safely, you dont have the budget to do it at all. Simple as that.

[@disneydude45]

Being ex Navy and working in tunnel boring machines, confined spaces safety was no joke for me.

[@reddyfreddy]

One sentence sums up Xcel's philosophy . "Xcel didn't consider safety to be one of the criteria by which RPI could be disqualified"

[@erik_dk842]

So sad. The CEO and BOD of Xcel are the most guilty parties

[@HavelsRing96]

Who's here after delta p?

[@Silver-Arrow]

i just wanna see more pixar level renderings

[@noonehere4332]

Yes. I thought that was a meme lol

[@bongoms]

yessir

[@alexg-nn]

When it’s gotcha - It’s gotcha!

[@amelliamendel2227]

How about not blocking the only exit with flammable material as a recommendation

[@TheMcC07]

These videos are great for my emergency management classes

[@ItsAsparageese]

What context are you taking classes like that in? Like are you doing FEMA courses, or is it part of some college major, or perhaps continuing ed for some field? I really enjoy this stuff and am looking for more ways to integrate it into my education besides just doing free FEMA material on the side

[@TheMcC07]

@@ItsAsparageese degree in emergency management

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@TheMcC07 That's cool as hell, I didn't know that was a thing. Thanks for the info! :D

[@OAleathaO]

Gee, RPI won the contract by offering the lowest price to Xcel. Surprise factor: None. Since when do companies _not_ give the highest priority to price? The only time I can think of is when they need a job done by a deadline and then that gets a higher priority...within reason of course.

[@erik_dk842]

The chain of responsibility should not stop before the chairman of the board of the company ultimately getting the work done.

[@CrumbleyCrisps]

Am I the only one that has panic attacks watching these videos? I'm on the edge of my seat man

[@joaquini007]

Such a hopeless situation, I get the chills imagining myself in their shoes.

[@gtapringle]

On December 19, 2011, RPI Coating pleaded guilty to workplace safety violations and paid $1.55 million in a cash settlement. The company took responsibility for the deaths of five workers and the injuries to three. This plea deal prevented a civil lawsuit and subjected RPI to further monitoring for workplace safety violations.

[@rogerscottcathey]

dear God, those poor fellows. How heart breaking.

[@rogerscottcathey]

i should add, the background music was appropriately ominous.

[@colonelstriker2519]

I’m not even a trained professional but logic tells me that they should’ve worked with those equipments in front of them, not blocking the only exit

[@101Volts]

Hey, anyone else watch that episode lately of King of the Hill where Buckley died? His complacency when Hank told him to not pull propane tanks by the valve angered me (but not without reason.) So, that's why I'm here...

[@cityofmarcoislandtraining9833]

boomhour goes bang

[@TheMoezilla]

Boom oh dang oh, pow!

[@ludwigkoppar5797]

Thank you KZbin recomedations!

[@jldouglas77]

I binge watch these.

[@mike1sonboom861]

Love these videos very informative my condolences to families

[@elainevankat5353]

Absolutely agree!!

[@jamal69jackson77]

Working with toxic fume releasing substances or flammable substances in confined spaces is really such a delicate task. It seems they didn't have anything that would ignite a spark, yet static electricity seems to have been a factor. I guess one cannot work in some confined spaces without having a monumental emergency plan in place and a full rescue company right behind them at the ready.

[@spectrumstudios4848]

Quarantine is so boring I’ve started watching my homework. From middle school

[@ffandrewd2986]

Wow. It’s crazy to look back at the older animations.

[@joeyj6808]

Ever notice that most accidents come from A) lack of training of employees by employers or B) Corporations cutting corners. Next time somebody asks you what good unions are, show them this video.

[@mike4796]

People do not understand why it takes so long to properly set up and permit A confined space task much less when A hazardous task is involved. Education and understanding hazards Are so important having issued such permits we have always relied on two individuals to not only set up but Permit and insure a proper rescue plan With a minimum of 4 rescue team members present.

[@celticman1909]

I've seen huge Ironworking contractors violate the basic "Fire Watch" regulation because they just hate paying the hours and benefits for a man to do it. Liberty Bridge in Pittsburgh a few years ago is a perfect example. Hots went down on to unprotected plastic vacuum tubing that was staged on the Bridge by the painters to remove sand blasting grit. The ensuring fire damaged the main lower steel chord on the main span. Super huge cost and fines which they cried and cried about till it was reduced some. But, everyone on that job, from 1st year Apprentices to the Superintendent knew that a fire watch is required for hot work. So to save a few dollars they had a million dollar liability. They don't want to pay the labor costs for safety.

[@draph91]

the part where the worker puts his head down in sadness knowing it's too late, that gets to me a little

[@TBrady]

Don't worry guys, everything is fine now. excel has raised prices to the point that it's almost impossible to stay warm during the winter in Colorado to make up for this

[@gj3113]

I quit working in plants in 2017 its just not worth it !!! And i lost a friend in the plant Its not worth the money !!!

[@peytonstringbeanhamlett19P]

I have no real purpose to watch these videos but they are too interesting not to watch lol

[@mercoid]

Peyton Hamlett ..... do you like to pretend that you caused the accident on purpose? And then do you laugh and laugh at the death and destruction you caused?

[@katiekane5247]

@@mercoid maybe some people just like to learn things. Then there's you guys, you just like to demean, bitch & insult.

[@Luvurenemy]

It reminds me how we humans are really stupid. Including me!

[@fetchstixRHD]

Well, you can learn things out of content like this (and accident reports etc). Maybe you might not work in the industry sure, but there may be points that you can learn from (people rushing, confirmation bias, and so on being causes of accidents) and they also can give you red flags to watch out for too.

[@Tonykayemusic]

I can't stop watching these

[@kevinmarshall3198]

This would be a terrifying experience. Being trapped in a tunnel with a fire blocking the entrance. This job was a death trap.

[@longjohn0342]

For the last three months I've been watching these videos at two AM

[@countcampula]

6:52 Sad CGI man

[@DeltaStridePLZ]

:(

[@harleyspeedthrust4013]

Take a moment and look at 10:20. Notice how these terrible companies choose their contractors: price is weighted 15%, and safety is weighted 5%. Safety is never a #1 priority.

[@lillanakitten]

I fell into a rabbit hole and ended up here. Interesting video but watching it before I go to bed is going to give me a nightmare 😭

[@randythomas3478]

Spray equipment should have been set up outside of the tunnel. All safety protocols should have been used. Just as how workers perform work inside gasoline storage tanks. Explosion proof lighting, etc ..

[@Lightwaverable]

"But it was too late." Damn, that got to me.

[@isissahara388]

This really haunted me for a while. What those poor people went through.

[@Xclub40X]

I've gone down a rabbit hole. Watching All of these videos back to back..... But at least in in the right amosphere

[@SoapyTitsWank]

It's always the poor sods at the sharp end that suffer from everyone else's stupidity. RIP.

[@colbyfletcher7825]

Thank you for entertaining me youtube recommendations.

[@Anthony-gy5dv]

I could listen to these for hours

[@foxchow400]

Watching this will totally help my anxiety

[@tommypetraglia4688]

My first question is the workers... could their knowledge or even instincts be so lax they were unable to sense the imminent danger they were in? Perhaps it was a case of men desperately in need of money and they were toughing it out. We've all seen this with the undocumented worker being picked up to do the dangerous work, being treated as 4th class workers with few if any rights at all. They are happy to do the work and to the uneducated among themselves they are heroes I walked onto the site of a big old high end house renovation as a trim carpenter hired to do extensive cornice work so I was mostly outside working at the roof line on sidewall scaffold. The few times I went inside to tie-in the work that night at home I would notice a sore inside my nose. A month later in the basement I found stacked in a corner a dozen yellow asbestos abatement bags filled with asbestos. They had picked up 2 day labors to tear it out unprotected and paid them cash. I picked up my tools without a word went home and called the homeowner, the town and the state. The next day I called to tell them to send me my last check and the super told me they were shutdown. A month later I spoke to the homeowner and she thanked me telling me they did an abatement of the entire house complete with wrapping and air monitoring. She also told me a utility worker from tbe electric company had phoned it in also

[@Syclone0044]

Tommy Petraglia You did the right thing!! Thank you for taking action!👏🏼👏🏼

[@Luvurenemy]

Humans enslave other humans even to this day. I guess I’m surprised this type of criminal behavior doesn’t occur more often.

[@colleenross8752]

Tommy, I hope that sore in your nose was just that and nothing serious

[@Calyrekt]

that is so fucking disgusting that someone could knowingly subject another person to that! shameful doesn't even begin to describe it! terrible things like this happen more often than we hear about them i'm sure.

[@error-try-again-later]

Imo things like this should be treated like attempted murder. Even if they didn't _want_ people to die, they've proven that they're willing to gamble it anyway.

[@ianmoseley9910]

Perhaps they should consider using some less flammable solvent?

[@DanielW607]

Bruh the flute sounds and heartbeat sounds in the background make this so chilling, Like the music makes you get the shivers that something bad is gonna happen really soon🥶

[@kim79710]

We have been continuously been trained in confined space entry and rescue for 40 years in the refinery and chemical plant industries

[@jebbroham1776]

We use MEK in aviation maintenance all the time. As a licensed A&P and experienced mechanic with nearly 15 years under my belt, I know better than to use it without adequate ventilation, a respirator, or near any active hot spot such as welding as is frequent at my job. MEK also causes Parkinson's and other deadly neurological diseases if exposed for extended lengths of time, so wearing gloves when using it is also highly recommended, although not required.

[@kfstreich4787]

45 minutes? ... you would need all employees to be trained as emergency responders.

[@mrblack1505]

I dont always use highly toxic and flammable solvents, but when I do I make sure to transport and store them in open buckets in my immediate work area. Wtf

[@CBeezyDSGB]

Safety really just means what is the most minimum plan of action to secure the company insurance policies…. Very rarely will companies go beyond any safety procedures required by the insurance companies…. Essentially insurance companies control safety protocols more then OSHA