Kansas City construction worker critically injured, found unresponsive in sewer pipe

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A man was listed in critical condition Monday morning after he was found unresponsive in a sewer pipe.

EMS responded to the 9200 block of Old Santa Fe Road just before 8 a.m. and found the victim in a 15-foot manhole.

KCFD encountered dangerously low levels of oxygen after rescuing the 30-year-old construction worker from a sewer pipe. They were at 11%, a level that could be deadly.

“Standard atmospheric oxygen levels are 21% and anything less than 19.5% is considered dangerous,” said KCFD Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins, “usually for oxygen levels to get low something has to displace it, whether its methane, natural gas.”

Hopkins said their meters did not pick up any toxic fumes, leaving them wondering what caused the oxygen levels to drop so low.

“It’s kind of an unusual situation that I’m sure that they’re all trying to work through to figure out what caused this,” Hopkins said.

The 30-year-old male construction worker was found unconscious and face down in about 6-8 inches of water. The victim was quickly evaluated and found to have no pulse, the Kansas City Fire Department told KCTV5.

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The victim was rescued from the sewer with a rope, and CPR was initiated on the victim before he was taken to the hospital. The injured worker is an employee of Global Earthwork + Underground, the company has done a few other projects around Kansas City.

He had been installing new sewer systems at the time of the incident.

KCTV5 reached out to them for comment. They responded with this statement:

“The safety and well-being of our employees, subcontractors, visitors, and the public is our top priority. we are currently working to gather all the facts and assess the situation thoroughly and are fully cooperating with OSHA and local authorities.”

OSHA’s area director, Karena Lorek said Global Earthwork + Underground has no prior violations that were found.

“Under a quick history search we have not had any enforcement action with either one of these companies,” said Lorek.

Lorek said they will be conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, as well as looking at the company’s confined space plans and protocols.

“Testing for that oxygen level and or explosive gases prior to entry and throughout when you have an employee in a confined space is imperative to keep them safe,” she said.

This incident is an ongoing investigation by OSHA and the KCFD. OSHA said the investigation can take up to six months to determine if there was a violation or not.

If any workers believe that they’re working in a hazardous environment, they can call OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA.

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