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Gas identified that killed worker, injured 3

Nitrogen is piped from Air Products to AK Steel’s Middletown Works; companies participating in testing

Middletown city employees take measurements Friday evening, May 14, near the intersection of Yankee Road and Pershing Avenue.

Contributed photo by David A. Moodie Middletown city employees take measurements Friday evening, May 14, near the intersection of Yankee Road and Pershing Avenue.

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 8:12 AM Monday, May 17, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — A week after a routine check of a sanitary sewer line turned deadly, city officials confirmed Friday, May 14, that high levels of nitrogen led to a city worker’s death and hospitalized three firefighters.

A quest for the source of the gas is now under way — with AK Steel Corp. and Air Products and Chemicals Inc. being tested as possible sources.

Testing began Friday evening, May 14, to locate the nitrogen’s source in the area of the sewer cavity. City Law Director Les Landen said the tests will continue throughout the weekend.

While Landen would not speculate on the potential source of the nitrogen, he said, “We have some thought about what are more likely sources than others.”

He added, “Air Products and AK Steel are cooperating and are participating in the testing process.”

Landen said city staff is relieved the mystery fumes were identified.

“We had to know what we were dealing with. Now we know, as it vents into the air, it will dissipate and not cause any harm. It is not a poisonous gas,” he said. “Now we can find the source and take care of it.”

Knowing what likely caused the death of Jabin Lakes is of little comfort to his family devastated by his passing.

“Everybody’s still in shock,” said David Rogers, whose sister, Katrina, is Lakes’ widow.

Lakes, a 31-year-old maintenance worker and father of two daughters, was found dead at the bottom of a manhole in front of Air Products at 2500 Yankee Road.

Three Middletown firefghters, Todd Wissemeier, Bob Hess and Tom Allen, who were overcome by the gas, have all been released from area hospitals.

AK Steel and Air Products are participating in testing

Yankee Road between Lafayettte and Pershing avenues was blocked Friday evening, May 14, as testing began to find the source of the nitrogen gas that led to Lakes’ death and hospitalized three firefighters, who have since been released and are all recuperating.

City Law Director Les Landen said AK Steel Corp. and Air Products and Chemicals Inc. are both participating in the testing process, which involves injecting helium tracers into a potential source in the area of the sewer cavity. Because helium is easy to detect, if it appears in the sewer cavity that will reveal the source of the nitrogen, according to the city.

Landen said testing to find the source is likely to take “the better part of the weekend.”

Some oxygen depravation was discovered in a nearby AT&T trench line. As a precautionary measure, the conduit running along Yankee Road was being ventilated.

Alan McCoy, AK Steel Corp. spokesman, confirmed the company is cooperating with the investigation.

Nitrogen gas is commonly used in numerous steelmaking and other manufacturing processes, as is the case with AK Steel’s Middletown Works, according to McCoy.

The nitrogen gas used at the Middletown Works is produced by Air Products’ Middletown plant. It is delivered to the Middletown Works via three pipes routed to Middletown Works both under and above ground in various places, McCoy said in a prepared statement.

Tests conducted by Hayden Safety Engineers of Dayton indicated the manhole where Lakes died in the 2500 block of Yankee Road had an air content of 92 percent nitrogen, less than 3 percent oxygen and approximately 5 percent water vapor, according to a statement released by the city.

No carbon dioxide, methane or carbon monoxide was found. Normal air is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and smaller percentages of other gasses.

The Middletown fire department will be doing some precautionary testing and air monitoring in the area around the northern AT&T manhole in the Meadow Avenue area. All testing to this point has shown normal oxygen levels. Yankee Road from Lafayette to Pershing will remain closed until present testing is completed.

“While data we have on hand is consistent with nitrogen asphyxiation, it is up to the Butler County Coroner’s Office to determine the actual cause of death (for Lakes)” Landen said.

The Butler County Coroner’s Office is awaiting toxicology tests, but an autopsy performed Monday indicates Lakes died of a lack of oxygen. He did not die from the fall and suffered no internal injuries, according to coroner’s investigator Clint Nigg.

Lakes, 31, who was buried on Thursday, was with co-workers Charlie Coyle and Kevin McCloud on May 7 for a routine check of the manhole in front of Air Products. Lakes was kneeling just outside the manhole when he was overcome and fell into it, Landen said. He was wiping off the edge of the sewer, preparing for the insertion of a remote camera as part of a routine check. When his co-workers, who were at or near their work truck, looked a moment later he was gone, Landen said.

Paul Jennewine, Medical Director for the Middletown Health Department, said that a lack of oxygen, coupled with high levels of nitrogen, could quickly lead to asphyxiation.

In just two or three breaths over about 15 seconds, a person would become disoriented, he said. The person would be unable to function and lose consciousness in less than a minute. Within just a few minutes, brain function, breathing and heart action would stop, Jennewine said.

Middletown’s release on the incident cited a U. S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Safety Bulletin that said “nitrogen is not a poison in the traditional sense. It presents a hazard when it displaces oxygen making the atmosphere hazardous to humans. Breathing an oxygen deficient atmosphere can have serious and immediate effects. The exposed person has no warning and cannot sense that the oxygen level is too low.”

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