Gweru Council Worker Hospitalised in Suspected Manhole Toxic Gas Exposure

Gweru — A contract worker engaged by Gweru City Council was hospitalised after allegedly being overcome by suspected gas while working inside a sewer manhole on Monday afternoon, Kwedu News has it.

The incident occurred on October 12, when the worker reportedly lost consciousness while being lowered into the manhole.

A source familiar with the incident said the worker was pulled out and rushed to Gweru General Hospital, where he regained consciousness.

“He was unconscious. They rushed him to hospital, where he recovered,” a source close to the council said.

The source said the worker was discharged but returned to the hospital today, Tuesday, October 13, for a follow-up check-up.

“He looks okay, but he said he is feeling some pain when breathing,” the source said.

The source also said the workers at the scene had gas detectors but apparently did not detect any danger before the operation began.

“They had gas detectors and think may e they didn’t sense anything,” the source said.

The workers were reportedly communicating with the man as he was lowered into the manhole, using verbal responses as one of the precautions to monitor his condition.

“They would ask him, ‘Bho here?’ and he would respond, ‘Bho,’” the source said, using the Shona expression to ask whether he was fine.

However, the worker’s responses allegedly became progressively weaker before he stopped responding altogether, prompting colleagues on the surface to pull him out.

“Later he started giving weak responses and ended up not responding, so they quickly pulled him back out,” the source said.

This publication could not establish the type of personal protective equipment (PPE) the worker was wearing at the time of the incident or whether it was appropriate for the task he was carrying out.

A second source confirmed that the incident occurred but raised concerns about the worker’s role and the supervision of the operation.

“The guy is a contract worker and he is not the one who was supposed to enter the manhole,” the source said.

The source alleged that supervisors were present at the scene and that another person, considered more qualified for the task, was supposed to enter the manhole.

“The supervisors were there and someone more qualified was supposed to be down there,”  the source said.

The incident has revived concerns over the safety of Gweru council workers operating in confined spaces, particularly in the wake of the 2024 tragedy in which two workers died in a manhole.

After the incident, the local authority promised to conduct investigations, working with the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), but the report was never made public.

Gweru City Council Workers Committee Chairperson, Bhekiwe Jogwe, said he was not on the ground and had not received information about the incident.

“I was not on the ground and have not received any information on the incident,” Jogwe said.

Gweru City Council Communication and Public Relations Officer, Vimbai Chingwaramusee, said the local authority was investigating the incident and would release an official account after completing its inquiries.

“We are currently conducting a thorough investigation into this specific incident. We will share the official account of events once the investigation is complete,” Chingwaramusee said.

She said the council had reviewed its standard operating procedures following the previous fatal incident and had acquired additional equipment intended to improve worker safety.

“Since the last incident, we have comprehensively reviewed our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),” she said.

The measures include additional harnesses, poisonous gas detectors and breathing apparatus, as well as weekly toolbox safety meetings to reinforce safety protocols among work teams.

Chingwaramusee also said workers were provided with sufficient personal protective equipment.

“Yes, workers are equipped with sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE),” she said, however saying the cause of Monday’s incident had not yet been established.

“The exact cause of this specific incident is currently under investigation. We are committed to determining the root cause to prevent any future occurrences,” she said.

The council said it took worker safety seriously and would provide further information once the investigation was complete.