H2S Safety

 

H2S Safety

What is H2S?

H2S has many names such as Hydrogen Sulphide, Sulfuretted (or sulfureted) hydrogen, sulphurated hydrogen; sulfane; sulfur hydride; dihydrogen monosulfide; hydro sulfuric acid; sewer gas; stink damp; rotten egg gas

It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul ardor of rotten eggs. This is slightly heavier than air and when it leaks, it moves into low lying areas such as excavations, pits, drains etc. A mixture of H2S and air is explosive; H2S burns with a blue flame and forms sulfur dioxide (S02) which is also toxic gas.

 ISO 45001 OHSMS Awareness

The Importance of Training and Education in HSE

How does it Smell?

Smells like rotten eggs when in low concentration but when the H2S gas is in high concentration, it is ability to kill the sense of smell of human beings even breathed for longer periods at low concentrations. It kills your sense of smell.

Properties of H2S

 Highly Toxic

 Smells like rotten eggs when in low concentrations but when in high concentration it has ability to kill the sense of smell of human beings.

 Colorless, you cannot see it.

 Highly Flammable

 A mixture of air and H2S is explosive.

 Slightly heavier than air, settles in low lying areas.

 Soluble in water, it mixes in water.

 

 The Role of Machine Guarding in Workplace Safety

Permissible Exposure Limit

In Oil and Gas Industry, It is not allowed to work in presence of H2S gas, engineering controls shall be applied to remove and make the area gas free before starting the work. If hazard persists, then BA shall be used along with other controls. However, industry has set the following limits:

 Long term exposure limit (LTEL) is at 10 ppm for 8 hours a day, 5days a week. If a person works 8 hours a day 5 days a week in 10 ppm of H2S, he shall not have serious affects.

 Short term exposure limit (STEL) is at 15 ppm; A person can only work for 1 hour if the gas concentration is 15 ppm.

 PPM stands for Parts Per Million

Is H2S Flammable /Toxic

Both, H2S is extremely toxic gas; It can kill people immediately if exposed to high concentration of this gas.H2S gas is highly flammable and toxic.

 

 Office Safety | Housekeeping | Napo

Safety Inspections in the Workplace

How would you protect yourself from H2S?

Following precautions shall be taken to work in areas where H2S can be present:

 Tolerate to enter in areas where H2S concentration is detected and is at or exceeding STEL (15 ppm and above)

 You should have H2S training.

 Get Permit

 Perform gas test and ensure that H2S or any other hazardous gas is not present in your work area.

 Confined spaces shall be properly ventilated before entry; ventilation shall continue until the space is cleared by persons.

 If entering a confined space, spading and de-spading, you shall use breathing apparatus if identified and specified in the permit and TRA for the job.

 Know the location of your muster Point and be aware of the wind direction.

 Never depend up on your nose to detect H2S.

 Always keep handheld gas detector in confined spaces and in most H2S potential areas.  

 

The Importance of Ergonomics in the Workplace

 

Protect Yourself on Excavation Sites

 

Protect Yourself on Excavation Sites

Protect Yourself on Excavation Sites

1. OSHA requires a competent person to be on-site when doing excavations. That person must be able to recognize hazards that exist and hazards that could occur, and that person must have the authority to take action to correct those conditions. S/he must also inspect the excavation, the surrounding areas, and the protective systems every day before the start of work.

 ISO 45001 OHSMS Awareness

Safety Inspections in the Workplace

2. For all excavations and trenches deeper than 5 feet, but less than 20 feet deep, you must use one of three methods:

 

a. Sloping or benching. Sloping involves cutting back the sides of the trench to a safe angle, so it won’t collapse. Benching is a variation that adds a series of benches (steps) that also approximate the safe sloping angle. The angle that you use for sloping depends on the soil type. Soil types are:  Solid rock, Type A, Type B and Type C (which is the least stable). However, using a cutback slope of 1-1/2 feet horizontal to 1 foot vertical is a safe sloping angle for all soil types. Note: Type C soil can only be sloped: it’s too unstable to be benched. 

 Carbon Monoxide Safety

b. Trench box or shield: Although these are NOT designed to prevent cave-ins, they should protect workers within the structure if a cave-in occurs.

 

c. Shoring: 

These are structures built of timber, or they can be mechanical or hydraulic systems, that support the sides of an excavation. Sheeting is a type of shoring that keeps the earth in place.

 

3. With shoring and shielding, workers are only protected as long as they stay within the confines of the system.

Safe Electrical Safety Practices

4. If the competent person sees signs of a possible cave-in, even at depths less than 5 feet, one of the protective systems must be used.

 

5. If the excavation is more than 20 feet deep, a professional engineer must design the system to protect the workers.

 

6. A ladder, stairway or properly designed ramp is required in any trench 4 feet or deeper at least every 25 lineal feet of the trench. It’s best to have one at each end of an excavation.

 

7. A competent person must determine the type of soil (Solid Rock, Type A, Type B, Type C) by using at least one visual and one manual test. This must be done before anyone enters the excavation.

 Earthquake Safety Manual

8. Hazardous atmospheres can sometimes be a danger in excavations. Air Testing is done in the following order, and hazards can include:

● Oxygen-deficient atmospheres can asphyxiate (suffocate) you. You need at least 19.5 percent oxygen. Normal level is 20.9 percent.

 

● Flammable gases or vapors, that reach a certain concentration known as their Lower Explosive Limit (LEL), can lead to fires and explosions. In Excavations, you can’t exceed 20 percent of the LEL. (In Confined Spaces – a different standard – it’s 10 percent of LEL.)

 HAZCOM | Hazard Communication 

Standard Pictogram

The Importance of Training and Education in HSE

● Toxic gases or vapors can poison you, leading to death or serious health problems. Don’t exceed Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs).

 

9. Remember: CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. 

Call to contact your local one-call service several days before you dig, to locate and mark with proper color codes all underground utilities. These could be: electrical, gas, water, sewer, steam, chemical and telecommunications. You must take additional precautions when reaching marked locations.

 

10.  BEWARE – SOIL IS VERY HEAVY! 

Some types of soil can weigh around 3,000 pounds (that’s 1.5 tons!) for every cubic yard. Don’t take chances – make sure a competent person has put a protective system in place before you start work.

 How to Manage Workplace Stress

 

 

 

 

 

CONFINED SPACE ENTRY

Confined Space

A “confined space” is any work area which is not intended for continuous worker occupancy, and has, by design, structure, location, limited or restricted entry and/or exit and may contain or produce dangerous accumulations of hazardous gases, vapors, mists, dusts, fumes or biological agents and enrichment of, or lack of, oxygen in the confined space.

Entry into a Confined Space

Entry into a confined space is defined as the action by which a person passes through a limited opening into a restricted or potentially hazardous work area. Entry is considered to occur as soon as any part of the entrant’s body breaks the plane of the entry point into the confined space.

Competent Worker

- Adequately qualified, - Suitably trained, - With sufficient experience;,

What is Lockout Tagout

Lifting Incident - What would you say on this...

Hazards

Anything, by its nature that will or may, endangers the safety or health of a worker.

Hazards may include;

Toxic vapors, mists, or dusts from welding, cleaning, or powder coating.

Explosive atmospheres.

Lack of Oxygen, causing asphyxiation.

Electrical shock from powered tools or lights.

Physical hazards such as slipping or falling.

Entering a confined space without testing the atmosphere.

Leaking cutting/welding hoses inside the confined space.

Improper use, or not using, Personnel Protective Equipment.

Noise

Temperature extremes.

Insufficient rescue equipment or procedures.

Not following confined space entry procedures.

Why We Need to Do Workplace Safety Risk Assessment

Responsibilities

Supervisor

The supervisor in charge of the area for which the confined space entry will occur, is responsible to ensure that all preparations are in place for the safe entry of any worker.

Ensure workers involved in the confined space are trained in the conditions of

entry and the nature of any hazards they may be exposed to.

Ensure the appropriate PPE is available and in good working order.

Ensure rescue procedures, equipment and trained rescue personnel are in place.

Ensure a Confined Space “Safe Entry Tag” is completed.

Identify the “Class” of Confined Space.

Assign a safety watch person on the outside of the tank.

Periodically check the confined space entry jobs to ensure all Health & Safety procedures are being followed.

To immediately shut down any unsafe confined space entry job.

Safe Electrical Safety Practices

Worker and any other Personnel entering the Confined Space

The worker prior to entering the confined space will ensure that all necessary precautions and procedures are in place to their satisfaction and then sign the Confined Space “Safe Entry Tag”.

Will wear all Personal Protective Equipment assigned to them, to ensure their safety and health according to the hazards of the confined space job.

Will inspect and use equipment and tools required to do the jobs inside the confined space, according to safe work practices and procedures.

Will monitor conditions inside the confined space and if conditions should change inside that are not accounted for on the “Safe Entry Tag” they will discontinue the work and exit the confined space until the new hazards have been addressed.

 Causes of Cave-ins

Safety Watch

The qualified Safety Watch will ensure that all conditions on the “Safe Entry Tag” are complied with, prior to allowing anyone into the confined space.

Ensure all of the names of workers who will enter the confined space are on the “Safe Entry Tag”.

Will establish the communication system to be used with those workers who will enter the confined space.

Will know the location of the Confined Space Entry Rescue equipment.

Will sound the emergency alarm should workers inside the tank need to be rescued.

** Safety Watch personnel will never enter the confined space for any reason.

Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety

Step Voltage & Rescue Method...

Rescue Personnel

Only workers properly trained and equipped for confined space rescue shall attempt a rescue by entering a confined space.

A gas test of the confined space atmosphere must be done prior to any rescue personnel entering a confined space.

When workers in a confined space are wearing a safety harness and lanyard,

Rescue Personnel can work from the outside, without having to enter the confined space.

Rescue Personnel must be physically capable of carrying out a rescue, and must be trained in First Aid/CPR.

Communications must be available at the worksite to emergency response organizations i.e.; Fire Department, Ambulance.

 Know about the NFPA 704 Standard