2 workers killed, 1 injured while working on sewer line in Mobile, Ala.
Two contractors working on a sewer line near Mobile, Ala., died Monday after becoming disoriented, and losing consciousness in a confined space, according to fire officials and Fox 10 News.
Officials said the incident happened Monday afternoon in a wooded area, where workers were digging a sewer bypass to replace a pipe. Fire officials said that it appeared the workers became disoriented and lost consciousness, falling into a 20-foot ditch. A third worker attempted to follow and help, but was able to escape after also becoming disoriented. The third worker was taken to the hospital following the incident.
While an official cause of death has not yet been named, fire-rescue spokesman Steven Millhouse cited possible toxic gas exposure.
Monica Allen, a spokeswoman for the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS) told Fox 10 News, said that while it's too early to say with certainty what caused the tragedy, hydrogen sulfide – a colorless substance also known as “sewer gas” – is an ever-present danger when working on sewer lines.
Allen also confirmed that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was on site Monday as part of the investigation. She said MAWSS awarded Construction Labor Services a $2.3 million contract to install an 18-inch sewer line near Eight Mile Creek – part of a project that began in December.
Millhouse said a crew from Spire Inc. conducted testing and confirmed there was no gas when rescue workers went into the ditch. Rescue workers wore breathing apparatuses as a precaution.
Related News
From Archive
- TxDOT advances massive drainage tunnel beneath I-35 in Austin
- Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 construction start for 807-mile pipeline project
- U.S. water reuse boom to fuel $47 billion in infrastructure spending through 2035
- $2.3 billion approved to construct 236-mile Texas-to-Gulf gas pipeline
- Major water pipe break in Puerto Rico hits over 165,000 customers
- Pennsylvania American Water launches interactive map to identify, replace lead water service lines
- Trump's tariffs drive $33 million cost increase for Cincinnati sewer project
- Utah city launches historic $70 million tunnel project using box jacking under active rail line
- Tulsa residents warned after sewer lines damaged by boring work
- Fatal trench collapse halts sewer construction in Massachusetts; two workers hospitalized
Comments