Among
deaths
from
gas
inhalation
in
the
workplace,
hydrogen
sulfide
(H2S)
remains
the
leading
cause.
Commonly
known
as
sewer
gas,
sour
gas
and
stink
damp,
hydrogen
sulfide
goes
by
a
number
of
names,
including
dihydrogen
sulfide,
sulphur
hydride,
hydrosulphuric
acid,
sulfuretted
hydrogen,
and
hepatic
gas.
Regardless
of
what
you
call
it,
it
can
be
lethal:
any
inhalation
of
H2S
in
a
sufficiently
high
concentration
can
cause
death.
Among
deaths
from
gas
inhalation
in
the
workplace,
hydrogen
sulfide
(H2S)
remains
the
leading
cause.
Commonly
known
as
sewer
gas,
sour
gas
and
stink
damp,
hydrogen
sulfide
goes
by
a
number
of
names,
including
dihydrogen
sulfide,
sulphur
hydride,
hydrosulphuric
acid,
sulfuretted
hydrogen,
and
hepatic
gas.
Regardless
of
what
you
call
it,
it
can
be
lethal:
any
inhalation
of
H2S
in
a
sufficiently
high
concentration
can
cause
death.
Among
deaths
from
gas
inhalation
in
the
workplace,
hydrogen
sulfide
(H2S)
remains
the
leading
cause.
Commonly
known
as
sewer
gas,
sour
gas
and
stink
damp,
hydrogen
sulfide
goes
by
a
number
of
names,
including
dihydrogen
sulfide,
sulphur
hydride,
hydrosulphuric
acid,
sulfuretted
hydrogen,
and
hepatic
gas.
Regardless
of
what
you
call
it,
it
can
be
lethal:
any
inhalation
of
H2S
in
a
sufficiently
high
concentration
can
cause
death.
9<&-")=- urager recenLly recenLly worked LogeLher wlLh ASSL)Lo conducL a survey of lLs members Lo deLermlne Lhelr awareness of Lhe new hydrogen sulflde sLandard and Lhe preparedness of Lhelr organlzaLlons Lo meeL Lhls Lhreshold. 1hls documenL summarlzes Lhe resulLs of Lhe survey.
>(-"#57=-'#( Among deaLhs from gas lnhalaLlon ln Lhe workplace, hydrogen sulflde (P 2 S) remalns Lhe leadlng cause. Commonly known as sewer gas, sour gas and sLlnk damp, hydrogen sulflde goes by a number of names, lncludlng dlhydrogen sulflde, sulphur hydrlde, hydrosulphurlc acld, sulfureLLed hydrogen, and hepaLlc gas. 8egardless of whaL you call lL, lL can be leLhal: any lnhalaLlon of P 2 S ln a sufflclenLly hlgh concenLraLlon can cause deaLh.
?%=#33%(5%5 @%-%=-'#( /0"%&0#*5& )"% A%'(6 B#C%"%5 lndusLrlal hyglene organlzaLlons are recommendlng lower Lhresholds for deLecLlon of hazardous gases. lor example, Lhe Amerlcan Conference of CovernmenLal lndusLrlal PyglenlsLs (ACClP) recenLly puL lnLo place Lhe followlng llmlLs for P 2 S: -1hreshold LlmlL value (1Lv): 1 ppm -1lme WelghLed Average (1WA): 1.4 mg/m3 -ShorL 1erm Lxposure Level (S1LL): 3 ppm, 7.0 mg/m3
AL Lhls polnL Lhese are guldellnes, noL legal requlremenLs.
B)=D #$ >(57&-". 9C)"%(%&& 1he sLudy reveals LhaL 33 of safeLy experLs ln Lhe oll and gas lndusLry are unaware of Lhe new sLandards.
,0#"-E/%"3 >32)=- #( 4.6'%(% !")=-'=%& 1he ma[orlLy (76) of safeLy experLs who know abouL Lhe new sLandards reporLed no urgency Lo adopL Lhem, desplLe Lhe lncreased safeLy LhaL can resulL. When asked why Lhey chose noL Lo Lake acLlon ln Lhe shorL Lerm, Lhelr responses were hlghly varled. -33 dld noL make a change because lL was a recommendaLlon raLher Lhan a regulaLory sLandard. -26 felL LhaL Lhe daLa does noL accuraLely supporL Lhe need Lo lower Lhe Lhreshold llmlL. -11 sald Lhey use alLernaLlve ersonal roLecLlve LqulpmenL Lo proLecL Lhelr workers. -10 sald Lhelr currenL SLandard CperaLlng rocedures (SC) do noL allow for Lhls change Lo occur. -CLher responses lncluded sLlll evaluaLlng," noL relevanL Lo Lhe buslness," noL feaslble Lo lncorporaLe," evaluaLlng equlpmenL LhaL can rellably measure Lo 1ppm."
F7""%(- 9*)"3 B%G%*& H)". I"%)-*.
!"#$%&&'#()* ,)$%-. ls a monLhly [ournal publlshed by Amerlcan SocleLy of SafeLy Lnglneers !!!"#$$%"&'()*'&+%$$,&-#.$#+%/0 So, lf companles are noL uslng Lhe new 1Lv sLandard of 1ppm, whaL P 2 S alarm level are Lhey currenLly uslng? 1he responses varled greaLly: -39 use 10ppm and 13ppm. -33 use 3ppm and 10ppm. -13 use 10ppm and 20 ppm.
J%C 4)G% K)5% 95L7&-3%(-& ?%=%(-*.M J%C !*)( -# @# ,# Cf Lhose companles who have noL adopLed Lhe new ACClP guldance, only 24 have ad[usLed Lhelr P 2 S llmlLs wlLhln Lhe lasL Lhree years. Moreover, only 34 anLlclpaLe ad[usLlng Lhelr currenL P 2 S llmlLs ln Lhe near fuLure.
K#&- A%*'%G% @%-%=-'#( A%*#C 1223 >& >32#"-)(-M A7- J%C /0'(D NO'&-'(6 >(&-"73%(-& F)( @# >- MosL safeLy englneers surveyed (64) belleve LhaL lL ls lmporLanL LhaL lnsLrumenLs can deLecL below 1ppm. Powever, only 41 belleve LhaL a 1 ppm P 2 S resoluLlon can be seen wlLh accuracy ln personal monlLorlng lnsLrumenLs and 74 are concerned LhaL wlLh Lhe 1 ppm resoluLlon Lhere wlll be an lncrease ln false readlngs.
K)L#"'-. /0'(D P%C ,-)(5)"5& Q#7*5 >(="%)&% F#&-& 1he ma[orlLy (70) of responders Lhlnk LhaL adopLlng Lhe 1ppm levels ln Lhelr workplace would affecL worker-proLecLlon cosLs.
9*3#&- 9** R&% !%"&#()* K#('-#"'(6 >(&-"73%(-& nlneLy-Lwo percenL of Lhose companles surveyed use personal monlLorlng lnsLrumenLs as a parL of Lhelr lndusLrlal Pyglene program. SlxLy-Lwo precenL of Lhese companles requlre a dally bump LesL. MosL of Lhose who don'L requlre a dally bump LesL have oLher requlremenLs, such as dally or weekly LesLlng.
A732 /%&-'(6 S F)*'<")-'#(& lor bump LesLs and callbraLlons: -33 use an lnLernal elecLronlc/mechanlcal docklng sLaLlon Lo compleLe checks and record resulLs. -31 manually callbraLe Lhe lnsLrumenLs vla dlrecL flow of callbraLlon gas and record Lhe resulLs. -14 use a Lhlrd parLy Lo conducL callbraLlons and a manual appllcaLlon of gas for bump LesLs.
Cnly 18 allow Lhlrd-parLy devlces Lo collecL and LransmlL lndusLrlal hyglene daLa from callbraLlon and bump LesL sLaLlons on Lhelr corporaLe neLworks Lo a cenLral devlce for revlew aL a laLer Llme. 36 do noL allow lL under any clrcumsLance, and 9 allow lL only wlLh approval of senlor managemenL.
T(#C*%56% #$ R&'(6 !%(-)(% S K%-0)(% When survey parLlclpanLs were asked lf Lhey were aware of Lhe concerns wlLh uslng penLane as Lhe only gas source for callbraLlon of caLalyLlc sensors ln gas monlLorlng lnsLrumenLs a llLLle more Lhan
!"#$%&&'#()* ,)$%-. ls a monLhly [ournal publlshed by Amerlcan SocleLy of SafeLy Lnglneers !!!"#$$%"&'()*'&+%$$,&-#.$#+%/0 half (33) were unaware of Lhe concerns or LhaL Lhls pracLlce ls recommended. lorLy-seven percenL were aware LhaL meLhane should be used for perlodlc LesLlng as well.
,733)". #$ J"%% J#"3 ?%&2#(&%& 1he mosL common responses are grouped below. -lL's overklll": A 1WA of 8 hours aL 1ppm ls hard Lo monlLor and enforce. SLandard pracLlce ln upsLream oll and gas has monlLors seL aL 10ppm wlLh Lhe emergency response plan Lo evacuaLe lmmedlaLely Lo a safe musLer polnL. 1he S1LL ls more reallsLlc, an alarm seL aL 3 ppm wlLh evacuaLlng Lhe locaLlon ls beLLer. -Wlll requlre coordlnaLlon": lmplemenLaLlon requlres coordlnaLlon wlLh cusLomers because poLenLlal exposures can occur aL Lhelr slLes. -8ecommendaLlon noL lnLended for healLhy workers: 1he ACClP CommlLLee LhaL esLabllshed Lhe revlsed 1Lv based Lhelr 1ppm level on Lhe premlse LhaL 13 of Lhe uS adulL worklng populaLlon has asLhma and have negaLlve reacLlons Lo P 2 S aL 1ppm. lL was never Lhe commlLLee's lnLenL Lo change Lhe sLandards for healLhy workers. -unreallsLlc: AmblenL P 2 S concenLraLlons ln ollflelds are frequenLly found aL 3-3 ppm, so a move Lo 1 and 3 ppm levels ls unreallsLlc for oll & gas. normal ranges ln sour gas faclllLles usually range beLween 1 Lo 3ppm levels. -Won'L be adopLed because lL's noL Lhe law: whlle safeLy professlonals generally wanL a more sLrlngenL sLandard, lL won'L be adopLed because of dlrecL or lndlrecL cosLs and Lhe bellef LhaL Lougher sLandards wlll be cumbersome and lead Lo poor audlL pass raLes. -CurrenL sLandard shows no harm Lo workers: lor decades, oll flelds have operaLed uslng 10ppm as Lhe LL/1Lv wlLh no quanLlflable effecL on workers. -ShorLer sensor llfespan: P 2 S gas used ln callbraLlon of mulLlgas meLers shorLens Lhe llfe span of Lhe LLL sensor -noL physlcally posslble: currenL equlpmenL ls noL yeL conslsLenL on 1 ppm resoluLlon. -noL based on lndusLry knowledge: Lhe commlLLee made Lhese recommendaLlons wlLhouL adequaLe P 2 S knowledge or work hlsLory.
,733)". ln summary, whlle Lhe new P 2 S llmlLs are recommendaLlons and carry no legal obllgaLlons aL Lhls Llme, Lhe message ls clear. 1here ls a sLrong bellef by agencles such as ACClP LhaL Lhese exposure levels wlll creaLe a safer work envlronmenL. 1herefore, lL ls llkely LhaL Lhere wlll be a wlder accepLance and lmplemenLaLlon among lndusLrlal hyglenlsLs as more daLa becomes avallable. lorward-Lhlnklng companles wlll be preparlng for evoluLlon of Lhese sLandards by conslderlng sLeps LhaL supporL Lhese lower llmlLs before Lhey become mandaLory. 1he poLenLlal beneflLs - boLh ln Lerms of worker safeLy and cosL savlngs - are slgnlflcanL.
urager wlshes Lo Lhank Lhe membershlp of Lhe ASSL for Lhelr parLlclpaLlon ln Lhls survey. We hope Lhls summary provldes a useful perspecLlve on Lhe currenL perspecLlve of ASSL members regardlng Lhe lower hydrogen sulflde Lhreshold.
!"#$%&&'#()* ,)$%-. ls a monLhly [ournal publlshed by Amerlcan SocleLy of SafeLy Lnglneers !!!"#$$%"&'()*'&+%$$,&-#.$#+%/0 urager ls an lnLernaLlonal leader ln Lhe flelds of medlcal and safeLy Lechnology. Cur producLs proLecL, supporL and save llves. lease vlslL www.draeger.com for more lnformaLlon.