Seven-Step Initial Response Strategy
1. Evacuate • Gettoasafeareaimmediately• Moveupwindifrelease isdownwindofyou• Movecrosswindif releaseisupwind ofyou• Movetohigher groundifpossible
2. Alarm • Callforhelp (“Mandown”),sound bell,horn,whistleor callbyradio
3. Assess • Doaheadcount• Considerother hazards
4. Protect • Putonbreathing apparatusbefore attemptingrescue
5. Rescue • Removevictimtoa safearea
6. Revive • ApplyCPR ifnecessary
7. Medical Aid
• Arrangetransportofvictimto medicalaid• ProvideinformationtoEmergency MedicalServices(EMS)
AdaptedfromEnform’s“H2SAlive”Course
1 2
INTRODUCTIONThepurposeofthisbookletistoalertemployersandworkerstothedangersinvolvedinworkingwithH2Sandtoprovideguidanceforcontrollingthesedangers.
Hydrogen sulphide gasisoneofthemostdeadlyoccupationalhazardsinAlberta.Itgoesbymanynames:H2S,sourgas,sewergas,stinkdamp,andsulfurettedhydrogen.
AstheindustrywiththelargestsourcesofH2S,workersintheoilandgasindustrymustbeawareofitsdeadlyproperties.However,sewermaintenancecrews,blasters,minersandemergencyrespondersmustalsolearntorespectandworksafelyaroundthisgas.
EmployersmustensurethatworkerswhomaybeexposedtoH2Sgasareabletorecognizeitslethaleffects.ProceduresmustbeinplaceforactivitieswhereH2Smaybepresentaswellastoensurethatvictimswhoareovercomearerescuedandgivenfirstaid.
BE ALERT! TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION
SOME PLACES WHERE H2S IS FOUND
Gas Plants, Refineries, Petro-Chemical Plants, Sulfur Recovery Plants
Underground Mines
Tank Cars, Tank Trucks
Oil & Gas Wells, Battery Stations
Commercial Laboratories
Septic Tanks, Sewers, Manure Handling Areas
Pulp & Paper Mills
Pipelines
3 4
PROPERTIES OF H2S
Colour ColourlessOdour Veryoffensive,commonly
referredtoasodourofrotteneggsatlowconcentrations,noodourathighconcentrations,1.188at25oC
Vapour density 1.189(Air=1.0)H2Sinitspureformisheavierthanair
Explosive limits 4.3to46.0percentbyvolumeinair
Auto ignition temperature
260oC
Flammability Formsexplosivemixturewithairoroxygen
Water Solubility 2.9percent(2.9g/100mLwaterat20oC)
Reactivity Canreactwithirontoproduceironsulfidewhichwilligniteinthepresenceofairunlessitiskeptwet(foundasabrown/blackdepositinvessels,tanks,pipes,fittingsandexchangebundles).
HEALTH EFFECTS OF H2S
1 ppm Canbesmelled.10 ppm Alberta’sOccupationalExposure
Limit(OEL).Allowablefor8hoursofexposure
15 ppm Alberta’sCeilingOEL.Anunprotectedworkermaynotbeexposedabovethisconcentration.
20-50 ppm Severeeyeirritation.Nose,throatandlungirritation.
Lossofappetite.100-200 ppm Severenose,throatandlung
irritation.
Abilitytosmellodourcompletelydisappears(150ppm)
500 ppm Severelungirritation.Headaches,dizziness,staggering,collapse.
500-1000 ppm Respiratoryparalysis.Irregularheartbeat,collapseordeath.
ppm = Parts of gas per million parts of air by volume.
1% = 10,000 ppm
5 6
Severeirritation of eyes and breathing passages
<1 20–100 100–250 250–500 500–750 >750
ODOUR IRRITANCY IMPAIRMENT OF NERVOUS SYSTEM
Concentration of H2S in Air (ppm)
Effe
ct
10Alberta’s 8-hour OEL
Distinctive “rotten-egg”
odour
Severe irritation of eyes and breathing passages,
cough, headache,
nausea, loss of sense of
smell
Difficulty breathing,
fluid in lungs, vomiting, dizziness,
loss of coordination
Stumbling, staggering, collapse or
“knockdown”, loss of
coordination
Death within moments to minutes due
to respiratory paralysis
EFFECTS OF H2S EXPOSURE
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DETECTION OF H2SHydrogen Sulphideinlowconcentrationsiseasilyrecognizablebyitscharacteristicfoulodoursimilartorotteneggs.However,continuedexposureorexposuretoconcentrationsover100ppmtemporarilyeliminatesaperson’sabilitytosmellthegas.Theeffectusuallymisleadstheworkerintothinkingthedangerhaspassed;oftenwithtragicresults.
TheacuteeffectsofH2Sonthebodyaretwofold.H2Sactsasanirritanttoeyes,nose,throatandlungs,anditactsasaninternalpoisoncausingunconsciousnessbyparalysisoftherespiratorysystem.
TodeterminethepresenceofH2Sinyourworkarea,oneofthefollowingmeansofdetectionshouldbeused:
Continuous Monitors Inlargerplants,asystemisusedwherepotentially hazardousareasaresampledbystrategically locatedsensors.Analarmsystemisactivatedby
WARNINGYou cannot rely on your nose to tell you
how much H2S is present! Wear your respiratory protection.
anysensorandgivesawarningwhentheH2S concentrationrisesabovepresetlimits.
Personal Monitors BatterypoweredH2Smonitorscanbecarried orwornbyindividualworkerstoindicatethe concentrationofH2Stowhichtheyarebeing exposed.
Portable Monitors Portablemonitorsareinstrumentsthatcanbe carriedtotheworksiteandmovedwithworkers. Itisimportantthatyoufamiliarizeyourselfwith thedetectionequipmentusedatyourworksite. Learnitsproperoperation.Maintainandoperate itaccordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions. YOURLIFEMAYDEPENDONIT.
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PERSONAL PROTECTIONWhenyouareinanareawhereH2Sisapotentialhazard,youmustwearapprovedpersonalprotectiveandrespiratoryprotectiveequipmentasrequiredbyAlberta’sOccupationalHealthandSafety (OHS)Code.
Theemployermust:
ensurethatprotectiveequipmentdoesnotitself createahazardtoworkers
selectrespiratoryprotectiveequipmentin accordancewithCSAStandardZ94.4-02, Selection, Use and Care of Respirators
prepareawrittencodeofpracticeregarding theselection,maintenanceanduseofrespiratory protectiveequipment
ensurethatallrespiratoryequipmentused isapprovedbyNIOSHoranotherorganization approvedbyaDirectorofOccupationalHygiene
ensurethatrespiratoryprotectiveequipmentis storedandmaintainedproperly
fittestequipmentinaccordancewithCSA StandardZ94.4-02,Selection, Use and Care of Respirators
ensurethatworkersarecleanshavenwhere thefacepieceoftherespiratorsealstotheskin oftheface
ifconditionsattheworksitemaybecome immediatelydangeroustolifeorhealth,workers mustwearpositivepressureself-contained breathingapparatusthatmeetstherequirementsin theOHSCode.
provideotherpersonalprotectiveequipment appropriatetothehazardsworkersmaybe exposedto(suchassafetyeyewearor protectiveclothing)
TWO COMMON TYPES OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTION FOR H2SSelf-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
Thistypeofapparatussuppliescompressedairfromacylinderwornonthebacktoafullfacepiece.Thisapparatusmustbeofthetypethatmaintainspositivepressureinthefacepiece.
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Thecylindermustberatedtosupplyairforatleast30minutes.
Heavyphysicalworkwillconsumeavailableairmorequickly.
Allself-containedbreathingapparatusmustbeequippedwithanalarmtowarnwhentheairpressureislow.
Supplied Air Breathing Apparatus (SABA)
Thisapparatussuppliesrespirableairfromcylinders,oracompressorinaremotelocation,viaahosetoafullfacepiece.Thisapparatusmustbeofatypethatmaintainspositivepressureinthefacepiece.
Anemergencyescapebottlemustbewornwiththistypeofequipmentincaseofaninterruptionofsuppliedair.
TheemergencyescapebottleisforescapepurposesonlyandmustneverbeusedalonetocarryoutworkinanH2Senvironment.
NOTE: To prevent inward leaks of contaminated air, the worker must be clean shaven here the facepiece contacts the skin of the face.
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SPECIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATORY REQUIREMENTSThefirstconcerninanyareacontaminatedwithH2Sistheprotectionofthelifeandhealthoftheworker.TherearecertainjobswhichcauseH2Stobereleasedintotheair.Whenworkinginsideequipmentsuchasvesselsortanks,workersmustbeprotectedbyrespiratoryprotectiveequipmentandpracticesafeworkprocedures.
Additionalhealthandsafetyrequirementsinclude:
Theemployermustconductahazardassessment fortheirworksite(s).Workersmustbeinvolvedin thisprocess.
Theemployermusttakestepstoeliminateor controlthehazardfromH2S.
Therearespecificrequirementsforworkthat involvesentryintoaconfinedspaceor restrictedspace.
SinceH2Sisaflammablegas,requirementsin part10oftheOHSCodeapply.
Iftheworkshiftislongerthan8hours,theOEL forH2Smustbeadjusted,usingtheformulain Part4oftheOHSCode.
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Awrittencodeofpracticeisrequiredforwork siteswherethereismorethan10kgofH2S presentasapuresubstance,orthereisamixture inwhichthereismorethan10kgofH2Sandthe concentrationofH2Sismorethan0.1percent byweight.
Ifaworkerisworkingaloneataworksiteor assistanceisnotreadilyavailableshouldaworker beinjuredorill,theemployermustensurethatan effectivecommunicationsystemisinplace.
WorkersmustbeprovidedwithWorkplace HazardousMaterialInformationSystem(WHMIS) trainingwheretheyusecontrolledproductsattheir worksite.
RESCUE AND FIRST AIDALWAYS PUT ON RESPIRATORY PROTECTION BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY RESCUE.
YOU COULD BECOME A VICTIM!
ItisVITALLYIMPORTANTthateveryoneworkingaroundornearH2Sknowtheprocedurestofollowincaseofanemergency:
Workersmustbeprovidedwithspecifictraining onH2ShazardswheretheymaybeexposedtoH2S attheworksite.
TheOHSCoderequiresthatpersonnelbetrained infirstaid.TraininginC.P.R.(cardiopulmonary resuscitation)isanessentialcomponentofa worker’sknowledgeandskillsinfirstaid.
Whenworkersuserespiratoryprotectiveequipment forrescue,theymustbeawareofitslimitations.
Regularpracticeandtraininginrescueare necessarytoprovideappropriaterescuecapability attheworksite.
TheOHSCodespecifiesrequirementsfor emergencypreparednessandresponse.Workers whoareresponsibleforemergencyresponseand rescuewillrequireadditionaltrainingand equipment.
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EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITYTheemployerhaskeyresponsibilitiesforinjuryandincidentprevention:
Knowandinformworkersaboutthecompany policyonH2S.
Includesafeworkproceduresininstructionswhen teachingjobmethods.
Identifyunsafeconditionsandactions.
TakeIMMEDIATEandappropriateactionwhen H2Sissuspectedordetected.
Providetrainingforworkersforworkin environmentswhereH2Smaybepresent.Aworker musteitherbecompetentordirectlysupervisedby acompetentworker.
Conductsessionstoinformworkersofthe“Code ofPractice”andworkproceduresthatareusedon yourworksitepriortobeginningwork.
Ensurethatworkersafetymeetingsareheld. Theseshouldbeusedforinstruction,reviewor discussionofunsafeconditionsoractions whichhavebeenobserved.Workersshouldbe encouragedtotakeanactivepartinthese meetings.Theirconstructivesuggestionshelp keepsafeworkpracticesuptodate.
Ensureworkershaveappropriatefirstaidtraining.
Ensurethatspecificproceduresareinplacetodeal withemergencypreparednessandresponse.
Ensurethatpersonalprotectiveequipment usedbyworkersisusedproperly,anddoesnot endangertheirhealthorsafety.
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WORKER RESPONSIBILITYTheworker,aswellastheemployer,hasresponsibilitiesundertheOccupational Health and Safety Act.
Whenworkersmustwearpersonalprotective equipment,theymustusetheappropriate equipment.Theymustnotusepersonalprotective equipmentthatisnotinaconditiontoperformthe functionforwhichitwasdesigned.
Workerswithequipmentundertheircontrolthat doesnotcomplywiththeOHSCodemustremove thatequipmentfromservice.
Workersmustbeawareofthe“CodeofPractice” developedforjobsinvolvingconfinedspaceentry andmustnotenterorremaininaconfinedspaceif controlmeasuresarenotinplace.
Workersmustparticipateintrainingprograms providedbytheemployer.
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Getting copies of the OHS Act, Regulation & Code
Queen’s Printer
www.qp.gov.ab.ca Edmonton 780-427-4952
Occupational Health and Safety
www.worksafe.alberta.ca
Call any Government of Alberta office toll-free Dial 310-0000,
then the telephone number you want to reach
©2009-2010,GovernmentofAlberta,HumanServices
Thismaterialmaybeused,reproduced,storedortransmittedfornon-commercialpurposes.Thesourceofthismaterialmustbeacknowledgedwhenpublishingorissuingittoothers.Thismaterialisnottobeused,reproduced,storedortransmittedforcommercialpurposeswithoutwrittenpermissionfromtheGovernmentofAlberta,HumanServices.Thismaterialistobeusedforinformationpurposesonlynowarrantyexpressorimpliedisgivenastotheaccuracyorthetimelinessofthematerialpresented.IncaseofanyinconsistencybetweenthisdocumentandtheOccupationalHealthandSafetyLegislation,thelegislationwillalwaysprevail.
How to contact us
Province-Wide Contact Centre
Edmonton&surroundingarea 780-415-8690
ThroughoutAlberta 1-866-415-8690
Deaforhearingimpaired Edmonton 780-427-9999 ThroughoutAlberta 1-800-232-7215
Website
www.worksafe.alberta.ca
CH026–H2S–HydrogenSulphideRevisedAugust2012
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