News24 reports that two workers were rescued after they were trapped in a storm water pipe in Cape Town on Tuesday. According to the City of Cape Town, the men were doing maintenance work when they were overcome by hazardous vapours and collapsed.
The City's firefighters were called to attend to the situation under the Weltevreden Bridge, across the R300, near Mitchells Plain, at approximately 16:00. "They called for the technical confined space rescue team from Goodwood to assist Metro Emergency Medical Service and were joined by Metro ambulance staff, Law Enforcement, Traffic Service and South African Police Service officers, as well as a private ambulance service," the City indicated in a statement. The Goodwood station commander took over as the incident commander and immediately enforced a confined space rescue system. "Gas reading showed oxygen levels were only acceptable when fresh air was being pumped in through the manhole. Without it, the oxygen level dropped rapidly and this was a concern. This meant they had to do a gas reading every five minutes, increasing the pressure on what was already a tense situation," said Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith. Metro Rescue set up a quadpod, with rope systems, for a high anchor point above the opening. Firefighters assisted with additional rope work for the hauling and lowering of the rescuer and the patients.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa and view photos at News24
- Read too, Praise for staff after successful rescue, at Cape Times
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page