Peter W.
unread,Sep 9, 2021, 3:03:33 PM9/9/21You do not have permission to delete messages in this group
Sign in to report message
Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message
to
True story:
Al Rashid Mall, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, main sewer pumping station: This is a 800,000 square foot mall including the likes of Marks & Spencer, Victoria's Secret and so forth.
One evening, the pumping station clogged partially, causing it to trip the overflow alarm. Now, this is a modern station, built in 2001, with all the safety equipment, including explosion-proof lights, motors and controls, exhaust fans, methane and CO detectors and alarms and so forth - and all were determined to be functioning at the time of the incident.
a) Worker arrives at the manhole access, puts the alarm on silence, and removes the cover. Apparently, he silenced the panel without looking at the faults: He had also silenced the gas alarms,
b) He did not activated the exhaust fans,
c) He did, apparently, identify what he thought was the clog, as he radioed to the central station to that effect,
d) He climbed down into the pit - and was very quickly overcome by the fumes.
e) Dispatch, not hearing from him, sent another tech, who, upon reaching the pit, also went in apparently to rescue the other - and was also overcome.
f) And a third.
g) It took a supervisor from dispatch over 40 minutes to reach the pit at that point, turn on the fans, and reactivate the gas sensors.
Three people died. The Darwin Award people refused to use this story - for reasons not stated.
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA