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This month's newsletter focuses
on H2S toxic gas detection
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H2S:
That Rotten Egg Smell Is Life Threatening
By Ardem Antabian,
Product Line Manager
Almost
everyone has experienced that unpleasant rotten egg smell that comes
from Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) gas, but it is generally
not a serious health problem when we’re traveling briefly
near a dairy, poultry farm or wastewater treatment plant. The exposure
level is low and short, but it should never be ignored because it
can be fatal.
The same cannot always be said about H2S gas accidents
within the workplace. Exposure to high levels of H2S
gas for even a brief time can be fatal. And most people don’t
realize that H2S is also combustible, capable of
causing major explosions and fires. H2S is never
to be under-estimated in its potential for harm in the workplace.
Understanding H2S Gas
Hydrogen sulfide is produced naturally by decaying organic matter
and is released from sewage sludge, liquid manure, sulfur hot springs,
and natural gas. It is a by-product of many industrial processes,
including: petroleum refining, tanning, mining, wood-pulp processing,
rayon manufacturing, sugar-beet processing, and hot-asphalt paving.
Hydrogen sulfide is used to produce elemental sulfur, sulfuric acid,
and heavy water for nuclear reactors. It is a colorless, flammable,
highly toxic gas. It is shipped as a liquefied, compressed gas. It
has a very noticeable rotten-egg odor. Inhalation is the major route of hydrogen sulfide
exposure.
Standards and Guidelines
Various agencies of the US government have set the following standards
for H2S exposure:
 OSHA ceiling =
20 ppm
OSHA maximum peak
= 50 ppm (10
minutes, once, no other exposure)
NIOSH IDLH (immediately
dangerous to life or health) = 100 ppm
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article
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Apple iPod Contest:.
 Congratulations
to Steve Brown of Southern California Gas Company as the latest winner of
our quarterly iPod mini drawing. You could be next! Be sure to visit our
toxic gas micro site often and register to win the very popular Apple iPod
mini.
Register
here
Industry Briefs:.
Free
OSHA Info On H2S Gas For Oil & Gas Industry
If you’re involved in the oil and gas industry, the US government’s
Occupational, Healthy and Safety Agency (OSHA) has published a wealth of
information on the hazards of H2S in petroleum production,
refining and transportation applications. The OSHA web site offers a special
web page devoted to the dangers of H2S in the oil and gas
industry.
Continue article
CSB Says H2S Caused Chemical Waste Worker’s Collapse
The
US Chemical Safety Board has concluded that a hydrogen sulfide release caused
a maintenance worker to collapse after he walked near a waste vessel at
a plant in Cincinnati, Ohio. The victim, who was initially unable to breathe,
was treated at a local hospital. Investigators traced the gas release to
an unforeseen chemical reaction between sodium sulfide and acid that occurred
during an effort to treat mercury-containing wastewater. The waste vessel,
known as a clarifier, had no system to collect and remove dangerous gases.
Continue
article
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