University of Northern Iowa worker dies in steam tunnel
Monday morning 'major' leak caused death, officials say
A driver drives through the gateway of the University of Northern Iowa on Thursday, June 23, 2011, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (The Gazette/Jim Slosiarek) A University of Northern Iowa employee died Monday morning following a “major steam leak” in the Rialto Dining Facility.
Kevin J. Bley, 61, died as a result of injuries from the incident in the steam distribution system tunnel.
Bley had worked at UNI for more than 10 years as a steamfitter.
“UNI is built upon a campus culture of caring, and today our campus has lost a dedicated employee,” stated President Mark Nook in a statement.
The university reported the incident just after 10 a.m. Monday.
According to the initial report, UNI facilities services informed administrators of a major steam leak at 8:39 a.m. in the Rialto — one of two major dining facilities on the Cedar Falls campus.
Bley “was in the vicinity of the steam leak,” according to the initial report, which noted that emergency personnel were working to assess the leak.
The dining facility had been closed for maintenance since Sept. 4, when a steam leak had been reported, according to UNI spokesman Aaron Clingingsmith.
No other workers were injured, Clingingsmith said.
Officials didn’t immediately say whether Bley was working to resolve the earlier leak or why he was in the tunnel.
UNI has asked national engineering firm, HBK Engineering LLC, to perform an independent third-party review of protocols and procedures.
UNI officials said they expect to release more information as it becomes available.
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University of Northern Iowa worker killed by steam leak on campus
September 10, 2018 By Dar Danielson
There is warning tape around the Rialto Dinning Center at UNI.
A worker at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls died today in an accident.
University Relations Interim Director Aaron Clingingsmith says the accident happened at 8:39 A.M. at the Rialto Dining Facility.
“We had a steam leak here on the campus at the University of Northern Iowa. The leak sadly took the life of a dedicated facilities management team member,” Clingingsmith says. He says the employee who died has been identified as 61-year-old Kevin Bley. Bley had been a UNI employee for 10 years working as a steamfitter.
Clingingsmith says a steam leak at the Rialto facility on September 4th set off the building sprinkler system and did extensive damage inside the building. He says the facility was closed after the damage was done and Bley was working on the restoration of the building when the accident happened today in the steam distribution area. Clingingsmith says the steam system runs in a tunnel, but he is not exactly sure where the system runs.
Clingingsmith says the problems with the building have not led to any issues for students. “They are currently using other dining facilities on campus. So, from that perspective it’s not causing a lot of problems being off line at this juncture,” Clingingsmith says.
Other details on exactly what happened to Bley are not yet available as investigators continue looking into the accident.
UNI President Mark Nook released this statement on the accident: “UNI is built upon a campus culture of caring, and today our campus has lost a dedicated employee. Please keep Kevin’s family in your thoughts as they move through this difficult time.”
