Two workers were injured injured after falling into a drain containing hazardous waste on a farm in the municipality of San Roque, in the province of Cádiz. The workplace accident, which required the deployment of a large emergency response, occurred at an environmental complex known as The doctor, located next to the N-340 road.
The incident, attended by the Emergency Service 112 Andalusia, has once again brought the focus to the risks associated with working in facilities of waste management and the need to take extreme safety measures when handling leachates, toxic gases and liquids in underground infrastructure.
Accident during inspection due to rain and Storm Ingrid
The events took place in the Sunday morningAround 10:00 AM, coinciding with adverse weather conditions and episodes of heavy rain, the two workers were inspecting the La Doctora facilities to ensure that the incidents would not be repeated. According to environmental sources and those from the area surrounding the landfill, the incident occurred when the two workers were found dead. Leachate spills to the Colmena stream, which had already been reported at the beginning of January.
At that time, groups such as Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción had warned of the Persistence of leaks from the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) rejects landfill located in the area. The workers were precisely checking the condition of the infrastructure associated with these spills due to the effects of the Storm Ingrid, which again brought abundant rainfall to the region.
During that supervisory work, A drain connected to the leachate collection system broke. One of the workers fell inside, from a depth of about four meters. Because it contained municipal solid waste, the inside of the chamber was accumulating. gases like methanewhich caused the worker to lose consciousness almost immediately.
When his colleague fell, the second worker decided to also enter the manhole to try to help him, but He himself began to suffer the effects of the gasesAccording to initial reports, he also momentarily lost consciousness or entered a semi-conscious state due to the inhalation of methane and other potentially toxic compounds.
Activation of 112 and deployment of emergency services
El first call to 112 It was recorded at about 10:00 a.m., when a distress call reported that Two workers had fallen into a drain containing toxic products. approximately four meters deep, located in an environmental complex accessible from the N-340.
Given the seriousness of the description, the coordinating room of Emergency Service 112 Andalusia immediately activated the Emergency Health Center 061which mobilized a mobile intensive care unit and a conventional ambulance. At the same time, personnel from the Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), San Roque Local Police and the Fire Consortium of the Province of Cádiz.
Firefighters from the San Roque fire station arrived at the scene with three intervention vehiclesA heavy rural fire engine (R-23), a light rescue vehicle (S-27), and a command vehicle (M-56), along with a three-person team specializing in confined space rescues, responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the two men still inside the manhole, surrounded by... waste, toxic liquids and methane gas concentration.
The presence of methane and other flammable and asphyxiating gases significantly increased the risk, both for the two victims and for the responders themselves, so the first step was to Secure the area and ventilate the infrastructure as much as possible before starting the extraction operation. All of this was further hampered by the rain that was falling at that moment over the Campo de Gibraltar.
After adopting the necessary self-protection measures, the Consortium's personnel managed access the inside of the manhole and rescue the two workers aliveOnce on the surface, both were immediately attended to by the deployed medical personnel, who proceeded to stabilize them and transfer them by ambulance to the University Hospital of La LÃnea de la Concepción.
Condition of the injured and clinical situation
The sources consulted have indicated that One of the workers was in a more serious condition.Having been exposed to the gases for a longer period and suffering the impact of the fall, this worker arrived at the hospital in a more critical condition and was admitted to the ward. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the La LÃnea hospitalwhere he was sedated and placed under close surveillance.
The second worker, who also inhaled toxic gases and suffered injuries as a result of the accident, He was evacuated with a more stable prognosisAfter being treated and kept under observation, he was discharged from the hospital in the afternoon, according to sources from the health sector and the company.
From Civil Guard (Guardia Civil)The official in charge of the initial investigation has confirmed that both injured parties were taken to the same hospital, with a clear difference in their condition. one of them had serious injuries, while the other had milder injuries.At the moment, no further details about his condition have been released, although the most affected person continued to be under intensive monitoring.
The two employees belong to the company South of Landfills and Quarries (Surveca)The company is linked to the management of the landfill and the facilities where the accident occurred. According to initial reports, the accident happened while they were carrying out tasks related to their work activity related to spill control and infrastructure review.
This being a serious workplace incident with Two people injured in a toxic waste environmentThe usual protocol requires that the information be sent to the relevant authorities. Thus, 112 notified the authorities of what had happened. Work inspection and Occupational Risk Prevention Centerwho will have to analyze the circumstances in which the fall occurred and the exposure to the gases.
What is a leachate collection tank and why is it so dangerous?
The facilities involved in the incident are leachate collection tanksa type of underground chamber used to collect, channel, and control the liquids from wasteespecially in municipal solid waste disposal sites. This leachate is contaminated water that has come into contact with the garbage and carries chemicals, heavy metals, and decomposing organic matter.
These types of confined spaces commonly generate dangerous gases such as methaneThis gas is a product of the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. It is not only flammable, but it also displaces oxygen from the environment, which can lead to a rapid loss of consciousness, asphyxiation, and even death in the absence of adequate ventilation or respiratory protection equipment.
This is compounded by the possible presence of other toxic compounds and vapors from liquid wastewhich can cause irritation, acute poisoning, or respiratory damage. For this reason, any fall into or uncontrolled access to a leachate collection tank or septic tank It is considered extremely high risk and requires very strict rescue protocols.
Emergency services have been insisting for years that work in confined spaces, such as manholes, pits, collectors or underground galleries, must always be carried out with prior gas measurement, forced ventilation and appropriate personal protective equipmentin addition to the presence of personnel specifically trained in rescue and first aid.
In the case of San Roque, the combination of depth, presence of methane, waste and toxic liquids, along with rainThis turned the operation into a particularly delicate intervention, both for the injured and for the firefighters who had to enter the manhole to extract them.
Background on spills and focus on workplace safety
The La Doctora complex and its surroundings were already under the target of environmental groups before this accident. At the beginning of the month, Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción had denounced the continued discharge of leachate into the Colmena stream, supposedly from the municipal solid waste disposal site located in the area.
Specifically, the two injured workers were performing tasks of monitoring and review to prevent the rains associated with Storm Ingrid would cause further episodes of pollution. In that context of technical supervision and adverse weather, the manhole cover broke and the workers subsequently fell in.
The case has reopened the debate about the safety conditions in landfills and waste treatment plants, as well as on the need to strengthen specific training in occupational risk prevention, particularly when working in confined spaces and with the presence of hazardous gases.
Organizations such as the Labor Inspectorate and the Occupational Risk Prevention Center They now have the data sent from 112 and the initial reports from the Civil Guard and firefighters. Based on this information, they must determine whether all the procedures were followed. safety protocols, protective equipment and preventive measures required by current regulations.
While administrative and technical investigations continue, the San Roque accident adds to other incidents that, in recent years, have occurred in Spain and other parts of Europe. the vulnerability of workers exposed to waste, leachate and landfill gasesespecially when the weather further complicates already dangerous tasks.
This incident at the La Doctora farm has, for now, resulted in the following: Two employees injured, one of them in serious condition and treated in the ICUAnd a new warning about the risks involved in working in underground infrastructure associated with urban waste management. The combination of rain, methane, and toxic products has once again highlighted that prevention, training, and emergency protocols are key to minimizing the consequences of these types of workplace accidents.