A 34-year-old Romanian worker was killed in a fatal accident at work at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Porto Marghera, near Venice. The employee, who worked for a subcontracting company, died Wednesday morning (4 November) after collapsing while carrying out duties on board a vessel under construction.

The incident occurred within the confines of the ship when the worker reportedly suffered a sudden medical emergency and passed out. The situation quickly became critical when a member of Fincantieri’s internal emergency response team entered the area to render assistance but was also impacted by the same dangerous environmental conditions.

Other workers nearby also required medical attention. Suem 118 emergency medical personnel arrived with multiple ambulances to help the victims at the shipyard.

Initial investigation findings have focused on the atmosphere in the enclosed compartment in which the victim was working. Early readings were said to show a very low level of oxygen and there were suspicions of poisonous gases or dangerous chemical fumes in the area.

Judicial authorities ordered the immediate seizure of the entire work area in response to the incident, in an effort to preserve evidence and to allow investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.

Firefighters were called to the scene, as were specialists from the NBCR (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Radiological) unit who took air samples to see whether there were any potentially dangerous substances. Inspectors from Spisal, the occupational health and safety service of the Ulss 3 Serenissima health authority, also were present, along with law enforcement officers.

Investigators will try to determine the exact substance believed to have caused the exposure, and piece together the series of events that led to the worker’s death. The authorities will also investigate if the required occupational safety procedures for working in confined spaces were correctly adhered to.

The findings are expected to provide insight into whether inadequate atmospheric monitoring, inadequate ventilation or other safety-related failures contributed to the tragedy.