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Water Tank Roof Collapses - Fatally Injuring One Worker

Springfield Fire Company was dispatched on Thursday, September 5th, at 07:18 hours to the Philadelphia Suburban Water Company property at Beatty Road and West Sproul Road for an Industrial Rescue.  Initial reports indicated that the roof of a large water tank on the Water Company property had collapsed, trapping workers inside.

Initial units arrived on the scene to find that the entire roof of a 5 million gallon water tank had collapsed inside the walls of the tank.   One worker was reported trapped under the debris and Philadelphia Suburban Water Company personnel were working to extricate the victim when emergency personnel arrived.

Rescue 44, Ambulance 44-7, Medic 104-7 (Riddle Hospital) and Springfield Township Fire Marshal arrived on the scene and received reports that the victim had been extricated.

The worker was fatally injured and medical personnel were brought inside the tank to confirm it.  The workers were in the process of demolishing the water tank when the collapse occurred.  One other worker was able to escape the collapse uninjured.  The workers were employees of a Steel Works Company that was contracted by Philadelphia Suburban Water Company to remove the water tank.

Rescue 44, Medic 104-7 and Springfield Police personnel stood-by on scene until the Delaware County Coroner arrived.  Fire Company personnel assisted the Coroner with the removal of the victim from the water tank.

The accident is under investigation by Springfield Police and OSHA.

Firefighters remained on the scene until 09:00 hours.

Units operating at the scene were:  Rescue 44, Ambulance 44-7, Medic 104-7, Springfield Township Fire Marshal, Springfield Police, Fire Police and Springfield Township Code Enforcement Personnel.