QATAR PETROLEUM SAFETY DEPARTMENT TRAINING DIVISION
H2S THE KILLER
DON’T LET IT GET YOU DOWN
INTRODUCTION Hydrogen Sulfide Gas is one of the most dangerous and deadly hazards in the Oil & Gas industry. It is known by many names; H2S, sour Gas and Sulfuretted Hydrogen. orkers in the Oil & Gas industry must be aware of its deadly !ro!erties and should also know how to res"ue and administer first aid to #i"tims who are o#er"ome. $he following information is to alert !ersons to the hazards in#ol#ed in working with H2S and to !ro#ide guidan"e for "ontrolling those hazards.
Hydrogen S!"#de Re$%e Pro%edre$ •
%efore attem!ting any res"ue, !ut on fullduration, !ositi#e !ressure breathing a!!aratus
•
'o#e #i"tim to fresh air immediately
•
(all for medi"al hel!
•
•
(he"k "asualty for breathing; if not breathing, start resus"itation $rans!ort #i"tim to hos!ital
Pro&er'#e$ o" H2S Colorless: H2S is a "olorless gas so you "annot see it
Rotten Egg Smell : )t #ery low "on"entrations, H2S has a distin"t rotten egg odor. )t higher "on"entrations the gas is odorless be"ause it deadens the sense of smell.
Heavier Than Air: Sin"e it is hea#ier than air, it will a""umulate in low lying areas and "onfined s!a"es.
Corrosive: H2S is highly "orrosi#e to "ertain metals.
Flammability: H2S has a flammable range of *+ *+ and will ignite at the relati#ely low tem!erature of -/. hen it burns it !rodu"es sulfur dio0ide, another to0i" gas.
Water solubility: Hydrogen Sulfide is watersoluble. )ny water "ontaminated with the gas is a !otential hazard.
Toxic: )bo#e all, the one "hara"teristi" of H2S that makes it so dangerous is its e0treme to0i"ity
TOXIC GAS
E""e%'$ o" H2S <1 m
:
(an be smelled.
1! m
: )llowable for 1 hours of e0!osure O345.
"1! m
: )!!ro!riate %) must be worn
1!! m : 4oss of sense of smell in 2 to 6- minutes. 'ay burn throat, "ause heada"he and nausea. #!! m : Sense of smell lost ra!idly. %urns to eyes, throat and mu"ous membranes. $!! m : 4oss of reasoning and balan"e. 7es!iratory disturban"e in 2 to 6- minutes. 8rom!t resus"itation needed. %!! m : Immediate un"ons"iousness. (auses seizures, loss of "ontrol of bowel and bladder. %reathing will sto! and death will result if not res"ued !rom!tly. Immediate resus"itation. 1!!! m : (auses immediate un"ons"iousness. 9eath or !ermanent brain damage may result unless res"ued !rom!tly.
&&' 6, !!m
:
8arts of gas !er million !arts of air by #olume. 6+:
W(ere H2S %)n *e "ond
Hydrogen sulfide is found in a wide range of industrial lo"ations. Oil industry workers in !arti"ular may be e0!osed to the !otential hazards of H2S at any stage of drilling, !rodu"tion, storage, trans!ortation, or refining. )s well as Oil & Gas, workers in other industries, su"h as the !a!er industry and the "hemi"al industry, es!e"ially those where sulfur !rodu"ts or sulfuri" a"id are !rodu"ed or used, should be alert to the !otential hazards of H2S and should be trained in H2S awareness and !ersonal !rote"ti#e measures. H2S "an tra#el along the ground easily and build u! to dangerously high "on"entrations in low lying, "onfined or !oorly #entilated areas.
De'e%'#on o" H2S Hydrogen sulfide in low "on"entrations is easily re"ognized by its "hara"teristi" foul odor similar to rotten eggs. Howe#er, "ontinued e0!osure will tem!orarily eliminate ones ability to smell the gas. $he effe"t usually misleads the worker into thinking the danger has !assed; often with tragi" results. $he a"ute effe"t of H2S on the body is twofold. It a"ts as an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs; and it a"ts as internal !oison "ausing !aralysis of the res!iratory system, as well as un"ons"iousness.
When testing for the presence of H2S Be prepared for lethal concentrations ou "an dete"t the !resen"e of h2s at less than 6!!m by its odor.
Warning >e#er rely on your sense of smell to tell you how mu"h H2S is !resent ? wear your res!iratory !rote"tion. $o determine the !resen"e of H2S in your work area, one of the following means of dete"tion should be used@
G)$ de'e%'or +'*e$, $he "on"entration of H2S is indi"ated by the length of the dis"oloration when air is drawn through the dete"tor tube. $here are many ty!es of these tubes a#ailable. A Certified Gas Tester is required to interpret the results
.
Con'#no$ -on#'or#ng $his system is used in large !lants where they are used to sam!le the air from hazardous areas at regular inter#als. )n alarm system will be a"ti#ated if the gas "on"entration rises abo#e !reset limits.
Per$on)! Mon#'or#ng %attery o!erated !ersonal H2S monitors "an be used by indi#iduals to alert when the "on"entration of the H2S e0"eeds a !reset limit; usually 6!!m. 3#eryone in the work site is to familiarise himself with the e=ui!ment used in his work area. 4earn its !ro!er o!eration.
Yor !#"e de&end$ on #' ...
PROTET!O" )!!ro#ed 7es!iratory 8rote"ti#e 3=ui!ment Shall %e orn In )ny )rea ere H2S Is ) 8otential Hazard. THERE ARE TW( C(''() T*&ES (F RES&+RAT(R* &R(TECT+():
•
Se!"/Con')#ned 0re)'(#ng A&&)r)'$ / SC0A1
It su!!lies "om!ressed air from a "ylinder worn on the ba"k to a fullfa"e !ie"e. $his e=ui!ment should !ositi#e !ressure and su!!ly at least a A5 minutes of air. Hea#y !hysi"al work will "onsume a#ailable air at a higher rate. )ll S(%) must be e=ui!!ed with an alarm that o!erates when there is only a!!ro0imately 6minutes of breathing air remaining. •
S&&!#ed A#r A&&)r)'$
$his de#i"e su!!lies breathing air from "ylinder or "om!ressor in a remote lo"ation #ia a hose to a fullfa"e !ie"e. ) "ylinder "ontaining 6-minutes air must be worn with this ty!e of e=ui!ment in "ase of an interru!tion of su!!lied air; this is for es"a!e !ur!ose only. •
SPECIAL REUIREMENTS
$he !rote"tion of life and health of the workers is the first and foremost "on"ern in any area "ontaminated with H2S. orking inside #essels, tanks, et", the workers must be !rote"ted by res!iratory !rote"ti#e e=ui!ment and !ra"ti"e safe work !ro"edures.
FOR ADEUATE PROTECTION THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS MUST 0E O0SERVED1 6. Sele"tion of "orre"t res!iratory !rote"ti#e e=ui!ment B filter masks do >O$ !rote"t against H2S 2. Cuality of breathing air A. 8ro!er fit of the fa"e!ie"e B fa"ial hair will redu"e the le#el of !rote"tion !ro#ided by your breathing a!!aratus *. 7es!iratory e=ui!ment must be maintained in good "ondition -. Only a!!ro#ed res!iratory !rote"tion may be used in the work !la"e.
RESCUE 3 FIRST AID BE#ORE ATTEMPT!"$ A"% RESUE& PUT O" RESP!RATOR% PROTET!O"&
O< (O<49 %3(O'3 ) DI($I' 6. It is essential that e#eryone working in an area where H2S is !resent has a knowledge of artifi"ial res!irationE(87. 2. $raining in (ardio8ulmonary 7esus"itation (875 is re"ommended in addition to their knowledge and skills in first aid. A. 7egular training in res"ue is #ery im!ortant, to maintain skills and kee! abreast of the latest res"ue te"hni=ues.
