The Iowa FACE program became aware of the incident on August 9 through a newspaper article. Pictures of a similar nozzle assembly were taken at a later date. On the day of the incident there was another co-worker at the site, but he was at the next manhole, approximately 500 feet away. The co-worker was not in visible sight due to a ravine and landscape between the two positions. The city has an extensive safety program with written policies in safety procedures, and has had a good safety record in the past.
Safety training is provided for new employees and annually thereafter.
The trainee works under the direct supervision of an experienced individual during the training process. The incident occurred during normal sewer cleaning, so only the water jet portion of the truck was used. Since the sanitary sewer line was not plugged, there was no need for vacuuming. Each unit consists of at least two employees. Depending on the size and type of sewer line, a steel nozzle weighing 10-12 pounds, is placed on the end of the hose.