Man starved of oxygen dies in manhole Worker killed at Houston manhole

Another hurt in same accident; third worker injured elsewhere

Rescuers respond to a worker that plunged headfirst into a 12-foot deep manhole on the corner of Ella and Rankin this morning, where he was trapped for about an hour before firefighters hoisted him to the surface. The worker was airlifted to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center for treatment. less Rescuers respond to a worker that plunged headfirst into a 12-foot deep manhole on the corner of Ella and Rankin this morning, where he was trapped for about an hour before firefighters hoisted him to the ... more Photo: Johnny Hanson, Chronicle Photo: Johnny Hanson, Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Man starved of oxygen dies in manhole 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

One worker was killed and two others injured in separate manhole accidents Friday as they prepared to test a new 54-inch waterline adjacent to Rankin Road in north Houston.

The accidents occurred just hours and blocks apart.

The victims were identified as contract workers for the North Harris County Regional Water Authority.

District Fire Chief Richard Pattison said rescue crews were called to a Rankin Road location just east of Northborough Drive at 1:30 p.m. for a medical emergency involving two men in an “oxygen deficient atmosphere” at the bottom of a manhole.

One man was declared dead at the scene; the second was transported by helicopter to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.

The Harris County Medical Examiner’s office has identified the worker killed in the manhole incident as 51-year-old Gary Lee Brown.

CenterPoint spokeswoman Alicia Dixon said the company was not involved in the underground work, but was called to test the site Friday and found no natural gas leaks.

"We were not involved in the initial project, but we responded to the fire department request to do some testing," she said. "We tested Friday and determined there was no natural gas."

Pattison said the atmosphere in the manhole contained 13 percent oxygen, which is 3 percentage points less than the amount needed to sustain human life.

“They were down there quite a while,” Pattison said. “Maybe 15 minutes. You lose consciousness with your first breath of that air. After four or five minutes, you run the risk of brain damage.”

The first accident occurred at 9 a.m. when a worker fell into an open manhole at Rankin and Ella.

Pattison said details of that accident were uncertain, but it is believed that the worker tumbled into the 12-foot pit while he was peering into it.

The injured man, who was wearing a hard hat at the time of the accident, was trapped for an hour before rescuers succeeded in rendering him immobile with straps and hoisting him to the surface in a sling.

Pattison said the man lapsed in and out of consciousness. The rescue operation was complicated by the man’s inability to speak English and, when conscious, his combativeness. Pattison said the worker may have been spooked by his rescuers’ uniforms.

Oxygen levels in the first manhole — a 4-foot-wide water valve chamber — were normal and no poisonous gases were detected, Pattison said.

The victim was taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann.

Water authority spokeswoman Barbara Payne said the workers were employees of E.P. Brady Ltd. Phone calls to the contractor office late Friday were not answered.

Richard Jessup, a Houston training specialist who teaches workers Occupational Safety and Health Administration-mandated procedures, said workers are required to test the atmosphere before entering vertical confined spaces such as manholes. If the oxygen content is too low, they must be equipped with supplemental breathing devices.

A second worker must be stationed at the opening to constantly monitor air quality in the hole, Jessup said.

Additionally, he said, workers in such instances must wear harnesses attached to cables so that they can be pulled from manholes should an emergency occur.

allan.turner@chron.com