At about 15 o'clock on April 13, 2024, a large poisoning and suffocation accident occurred in Pengzhou Zhengfu Pig Breeding Farmers Professional Cooperative (hereinafter referred to as Zhengfu Cooperative), located in Lichun Town, Pengzhou City, Sichuan Province, resulting in 7 deaths and direct economic losses of more than 565 yuan.
After investigation, it was determined that the accident was a large production safety liability accident caused by the inadequate on-site management of the production and business operation unit, the ineffective investigation and rectification of hidden dangers, blind rescue, and the failure of relevant departments and local party committees and governments to implement their duties.
How the accident happened
At about 14 o'clock on April 13, 2024, Gao Tihua and Li Chaoqiong pumped and discharged the fecal water in the fecal water collection tank in the fecal water treatment area. At 14:08, Gao Tihua climbed over the guardrail of the manure water treatment area and entered the partition wall between the sedimentation tank and the manure water collection tank. At 14:09, Gao Tihua climbed over the guardrail from the partition wall and returned. Subsequently, Gao Tihua and Li Chaoqiong carried out preparations such as placing submersible pumps and dredging sewage pipelines.
Schematic diagram of the manure water treatment area
At 14:35, a submersible pump was started to pump and discharge fecal water from the manure collection tank to the manure collection tank. At 14:42, Li Chaoqiong left the fecal water treatment area. At 14:46, Wu Lei arrived at the manure water treatment area.
On-site photos of the manure treatment area
At 14:46:58, Gao Tihua climbed over the guardrail of the manure water treatment area again without wearing any protective equipment and entered the manure water collection tank through the bamboo escalator. At 14:47:38, Gao Tihua's coughing sound began to be heard in the fecal water collection tank.
Photograph of the scene of the accident manure collection tank
At 14:48:09, Wu Lei found that Gao Tihua had an abnormal situation in the fecal water collection tank, so she used her mobile phone to call for help. At 14:49:06, Li Chaoqiong and Wang Chuan ran from outside the pig farm to the manure collection pond; Wang Chuan quickly rushed to the sedimentation tank to check, and tried to climb over the guardrail of the manure water treatment area to enter the manure water collection tank, but was unsuccessful because the PE pipe of the submersible pump and other items blocked it.
At 14:49:40, Wu Qin arrived at the scene. At 14:49:41, Wang Chuan entered the upper edge of the manure water collection tank from the guardrail door of the manure water treatment area, and without using any protective equipment, he went down the pool through the bamboo escalator to rescue Gao Tihua, and shouted "turn off the power", Wu Lei then ran to the distribution box. At 14:49:42, Wang Liyou arrived at the scene. At 14:49:44, Wu Lei disconnected the power supply of the distribution box, and the on-site video surveillance was interrupted.
After combining alarm records and comprehensive investigation and analysis, Li Chaoqiong and Wang Liyou successively entered the fecal water collection tank to carry out rescue after Wu Lei disconnected the power supply of the distribution box. At 14:53, Wu Qin called 120 for help and reported that four people had been poisoned in the fecal water collection tank and needed rescue. After that, Yang Jimin rushed to the scene. Yang Jimin, Wu Qin, and Wu Lei successively entered the fecal water collection tank to carry out rescue.
Direct cause analysis
After investigation, it was determined that the direct cause of the accident was that the operators entered the bottom of the fecal water collection tank with serious insufficient oxygen content and hydrogen sulfide gas concentration seriously exceeding the standard without taking any protective measures, resulting in poisoning and suffocation accidents, coupled with blind rescue, resulting in the expansion and escalation of the accident.
Indirect cause analysis
The cooperatives involved did not implement the main responsibility for production safety, lacked basic safety production management systems such as the responsibility system for safety production for all employees, failed to implement effective limited space management measures, failed to carry out limited space identification and risk control, failed to identify the risks existing in livestock and poultry manure septic tanks, failed to investigate and rectify hidden dangers, failed to carry out safety production education and training, and failed to equip limited space operation protective equipment and emergency rescue equipment as required.
The agricultural and rural departments and the local government are not strict and substantial, deep and detailed in their work safety, the safety supervision of professional farmer cooperatives is not in place, the safety risk identification and guidance of limited space such as livestock and poultry manure septic tanks for production and business operation units is not in place, and the safety supervision and inspection of limited space of production and business operation units is not effective.
Advice on how to deal with accidents
(1) For problems discovered in the course of the accident investigation related to the performance of duties by public employees, it is recommended that they be transferred to the accountability review and investigation team to carry out the accountability review and investigation work in accordance with regulations, discipline and law.
(2) Recommendations for administrative punishments for the persons and units responsible for the accident
Relevant responsible persons
Gao Tihua, male, breeder of Zhengfu Cooperative. Lack of safety production skills, failure to comply with the operating procedures of limited space operations, failure to use protective equipment in accordance with regulations, and violation of Article 57 of the Work Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, and direct responsibility for the accident, in view of his death in this accident, it is recommended to be exempted from responsibility.
Wang Chuan, male, is the actual person in charge of Zhengfu Cooperative. Failure to establish and improve the safety production responsibility system, safety production rules and regulations, and emergency rescue plans for production safety accidents for all employees of the unit; Inspect the unit's ineffective work on production safety, fail to eliminate the hidden dangers of production safety accidents in the limited space operation of livestock and poultry manure septic tanks in a timely manner, and violate the provisions of Article 21 (1), (2), (5) and (6) of the "People's Republic of China Work Safety Law", and bear direct management responsibility for the occurrence of the accident.
Responsible unit
Zhengfu Cooperative is responsible for the accident and recommends that the Chengdu Municipal Emergency Bureau impose administrative penalties in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Work Safety Law of the People's Republic of China.
(3) Other handling suggestions
1. Instruct the Party Committee and Government of Lichun Town and the Pengzhou Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to make a written inspection to the Pengzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, and report to the Chengdu Municipal Emergency Bureau for the record.
2. Instruct the Pengzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government and the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to make a written inspection to the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government and send it to the Chengdu Municipal Emergency Bureau for the record.
How to prevent septic tank poisoning and suffocation accidents?
01
Ventilation in advance
When entering the dangerous place to operate, natural ventilation or mechanical ventilation should be adopted in advance to let the biogas remaining in the working environment be discharged as much as possible.
02
Protective equipment
Before entering the workplace where biogas may be present, you should wear work protective clothing correctly, carry a portable alarm, and leave the biogas source immediately if you feel uncomfortable or find that the alarm is alarming.
03
The operation time should not be too long, and there should be a special person to take care of it
(1) Once it is found that the person in the biogas digester has fainted and cannot be rescued quickly, you should call 120 for help.
(2) Immediately open the lower mouth of the feed pipe and the discharge pipe, and quickly blow the biogas digester with a fan or blower to input fresh air.
(3) Before the rescuer goes into the pool, he should drain the combustible gas in the pool, tie the safety rope, and wear a gas mask.
(4) Lift the poisoned person to the ground, untie the shirt and trouser belt for artificial respiration, and send him to the nearest hospital for rescue.
After an accident occurs, the relevant personnel at the scene shall immediately call the police and prohibit blind rescue.
When emergency personnel carry out rescue, they shall do a good job of self-protection and wear necessary breathing equipment and rescue equipment.
Daily production and life
Septic tanks, cellars, waste wells, biogas digesters, etc
Enclosed or semi-enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces
are limited spaces with risks
Rush into it
It is easy to be poisoned, suffocated and even killed
If the rescue is not done properly
It will also lead to increased casualties
How to avoid accidents?
It's important to master this
↓↓↓
Work in confined spaces
Common misconceptions
➤ "I" didn't smell or see any danger, so it's okay to enter
➤ "I" just probe in to see, not really to go in
➤ "I" take a look when I go in and come out quickly
➤ "I" have checked it all, no problem, you don't need to test the instrument
➤ Once something happens, pinch your nose and hold your breath to escape
"Ten Prohibitions" for Limited Space
Be sure to keep it in mind
●Source: Chengdu Emergency Management Bureau, National Emergency Broadcasting, Chengdu Emergency