Snow Maker Drowns in Vault

An employee at a ski area drowned when he was trapped in water in an underground vault. Co-workers found his body entangled with the pipes and valves in the vault.

Investigation indicated the employer had failed to post warning signs, and did not have a written policy and training for confined space entry. Such a policy would have required the testing for atmospheric hazards, provision for rescue and measures to deal with all the potential hazards in the vault.