In the summer of 2002, two CIPP technicians, ages 25 and 19, were overcome by toxic sewer gas and drowned while walking through a 600-foot section of underground sewer in Iowa. Five co-workers who tried to rescue them were also overcome, but later recovered in the hospital. Investigators found that the workers’ employer, in business more than 25 years with 1,500 employees, was negligent in failing to provide adequate training for confined-space safety. The employer was also found not to have properly ascertained the hazards of the work site from the contractor, nor provided oversight to ensure the proper use
