An poisoning and asphyxiation accident occurred at Ankang Hengxiang Biochemical Co., Ltd.; it is an example of a poisoning and asphyxiation incident in a confined space…

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At around 12 o’clock on October 11, an accident occurred at Ankang Hengxiang Biochemical Co., Ltd., located in the Hengkou Demonstration Zone of Ankang City, Shaanxi Province. A female worker fell into a tank while dealing with wastewater, and another 5 people suffered accidents while trying to rescue her; they were then taken to a local hospital. As of the time of publication, according to information provided by relevant staff, the 6 injured individuals no longer show any signs of illness. Accidents in confined spaces occur from time to time, resulting in many casualties. However, most people do not pay enough attention to this issue; in many cases, it is due to carelessness. Some examples are provided here for everyone’s learning, in the hope that it will help raise safety awareness and prevent such accidents from happening. 1. On June 30, 2019, several villagers in Qiaotou Town, Shizhu County, Chongqing, died while repairing a water tank. A total of 7 people lost their lives; it seemed that one person died for every one who went down there. The oldest of those who died was around 60 years old, while the youngest was only twelve or thirteen years old. On June 6, 2019, at around 10 a.m., an accident involving poisoning and suffocation occurred at a sewage shaft in front of the Qianrun City supermarket on Qinglong Lake Commercial Street in Caofeidian New City, Caofeidian District, Tangshan City, during pipeline cleaning operations carried out by Tangshan Shuangxi Property Management Co., Ltd., resulting in 3 deaths. 3. On May 13, 2019, a serious accident involving poisoning and asphyxiation occurred at Yinhu Environmental Treatment Investment Co., Ltd. in Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, resulting in 4 deaths. 4. At around 11 a.m. on May 10, 2019, three workers in the wastewater treatment workshop of Fengman Paper Company in Liuyouying Town, Funing District, Qinhuangdao City, accidentally fell into the wastewater treatment tank and died despite efforts to save them. 5. At around 9 a.m. on April 26, 2019, near the film studio on Youai North Road in Nanning, Guangxi, three workers got trapped underground while working. At the time of the incident, one worker got trapped while descending into a rainwater well to check the water level; two other workers went down to rescue him, but they too got trapped, resulting in 3 deaths. 6. Around 20:00 on April 24, 2019, three workers at the Wenxin Feather Factory in Ganchahe Town, Shucheng County, Lu’an City, Anhui Province, were carrying out dredging work in a feather treatment tank; one of them accidentally fell into the tank, and the other two who went in to rescue him also ended up in danger. A total of 3 people died. 7. On April 17, 2019, in a pig farm belonging to a villager in Leiyang City, Hunan Province, pigs fell into an underground septic tank; the three members of that family fainted while trying to deal with the situation in the septic tank. They were discovered by other villagers and rescued, but medical staff confirmed that all three had died on the spot. Initial investigations indicated that their death was caused by poisoning from toxic and harmful gases such as hydrogen sulfide. 8. Around 2 p.m. on March 31, 2019, an asphyxiation accident occurred during construction at the Hengshui Lake Sewage Treatment Plant in the Binhu New Area of Hengshui City, resulting in 2 deaths. 9. Around 5:10 on March 3, 2019, an hydrogen sulfide gas poisoning incident occurred in the phosphate filling area of the logistics department at Wengfudazhou Chemical Co., Ltd., resulting in 3 deaths and 3 injuries. 10. On the night of February 24, 2019, a suspected methane poisoning incident occurred in Community 3 of Wangjia Village, Yantai Town, Dianjiang County, Chongqing, resulting in 4 deaths. 11. On the evening of February 15, 2019, a gas poisoning incident occurred at a paper manufacturing company in Dongguan City, with 9 workers trapped in a wastewater treatment tank. Despite efforts to save them at the hospital, 7 workers died despite all attempts to rescue them. Safety knowledge for working in confined spaces: Statistics show that in recent years, more than 90% of major accidents in confined spaces were caused by the following issues: 1. The approval process for such operations was not followed; the workers lacked the necessary safety skills, and they entered the confined spaces without proper ventilation or testing. 2. The main types of accident injuries are poisoning and asphyxiation; the toxic and harmful gases that cause such accidents include hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, etc. 3. Accidents occur seasonally, with March to October of each year being the period when accidents are most likely to happen. The phenomenon of accidents worsening due to reckless attempts at rescue is particularly severe. 1. What is a confined space? A confined space refers to a space that is enclosed or partially enclosed, isolated from the outside world, has narrow entrances and exits, does not allow workers to remain inside for long periods, has poor natural ventilation, and is prone to the accumulation of toxic, harmful, flammable, or explosive substances as well as insufficient oxygen levels. Confined spaces are one of the biggest hidden threats in industrial and trade enterprises, and they are also easily overlooked by people – making them extremely dangerous! 2. What are the common toxic and harmful factors in confined spaces? In addition to the three more common types of poisoning and asphyxiation incidents caused by carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and biogas, there are also drowning, falls, high temperatures and humidity, electric shocks, and being buried under solids. Confined spaces are a real trap; they may not seem noticeable on the surface, but they are full of dangers! It should be noted that after an incident occurs in a confined space, a lack of awareness of the associated risks often leads to rushed attempts to rescue people at the expense of taking protective measures, thereby resulting in an increase in casualties. 3. How to prevent accidents in confined spaces? It is necessary to strictly comply with the “Five Regulations for Safe Operations in Confined Spaces”!