'On october 2, 2007, a fire erupted 1,000 feet underground in a tunnel at Xcel Energy Company's hydroelectric power plant in Georgetown, Colorado, located approximately 45 miles west of Denver. There were ten workers in the tunnel and one at the entrance at the time of the fire. Five were unable to get around the fire on the painting platform to get to the only available exit – the improvised tunnel entrance. Five workers on the other side of the platform made it to safety, although three of those workers sustained injuries. They were trapped deep underground during an operation to coat the inside of the tunnel with epoxy using highly flammable solvents.'
The CSB concluded the causes of the accident included (1) a lack of planning and training for hazardous work by Xcel and its contractor, RPI Coating, Inc., (2) Xcel’s selection of RPI despite its having the lowest possible safety rating (zero) among competing contractors, and (3) allowing volatile flammable liquids to be introduced into a permit-required confined space without necessary special precautions.'
The safety video related, is entitled “No Escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces,” and includes a detailed animation depicting this tragedy.
More related resources on the CSB website