Middletown being Cited ?
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Printed Date: Jan 18 2026 at 6:45am
Topic: Middletown being Cited ?
Posted By: sportsnut
Subject: Middletown being Cited ?
Date Posted: Oct 22 2010 at 3:31pm
http://www.wlwt.com/news/25466189/detail.html
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- State officials have finished their investigation into the on-the-job death of a Middletown city employee.
Jabin
Lakes, a 31-year-old public works crew member, died May 7 after he was
overcome by nitrogen fumes and fell into a manhole opening along Yankee
Road.
Representatives from the Ohio Bureau of Workers'
Compensation told the city that the investigation found no link between
the accident and any violations of the public employees risk reduction
standards.
Investigators did, however, find areas that needed
improvement in the city's safety program, and they said citations were
likely.
Three firefighters who tried to rescue Lakes were also overcome by nitrogen fumes and were briefly hospitalized.
The city said that nitrogen leaks were detected in lines running from Air Products & Chemicals and AK Steel Corporation.
The
Middletown Division of Fire's report, issued about two weeks after
Lakes' death, found a number of direct and indirect causes led to the
injuries sustained during the rescue attempt.
The department's
investigation found that firefighters did not properly monitor the
manhole space prior to entry and that firefighter failed to lower a gas
monitor into that space to determine the levels of oxygen beforehand.
The
report also said the firefighters should have realized Lakes was in a
confined space and subsequently followed established rescue procedures.In
light of the incident, the Middletown Division of Fire recommended
reviewing and revising rules that pertain to confined space rescue, gas
meter use and department personnel confined space training.
The state will release its official report within weeks.
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