1. H2S Awareness

2. What Is Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
H2S is naturally occurring chemical produced by bacteria as it decomposes organic material.
Raw sewage
Crude oil
Marine sediments
Tanneries
Pulp and paper industry
It may develop in low oxygen environments, such as, sewers, swamps and polluted water.

3. What Is Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
Rotten egg gas
Stink gas
Sour gas
Sulfureted Hydrogen gas
Sewer gas
Devil’s breath
H2S is also known as rotten egg gas, stink gas, sour gas, sulfureted hydrogen gas, sewer gas, devil’s breath

4. Properties and Characteristics
Extremely Toxic: Six times more deadly than carbon monoxide, second only to hydrogen cyanide used in death chambers.
Skin Irritation: Not absorbed by skin but forms a sulfuric acid solution when combined with moisture such as perspiration.
Eye Irritation: causes severe pain.
Heavier than Air: Unless dispersed by wind, H2S will settle in low lying areas such as pits, cellars, ravines, or enclosures.

5. Properties and Characteristics
Highly Flammable: Does not require a spark to ignite! Any heated surface of at least 500 Fahrenheit can cause ignition.
Burns with a Blue Flame: When burning, H2S will produce sulfur dioxide which is also extremely toxic and has a pungent smell. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)is easily disbursed by the wind.
Sulfur Dioxide
Short-term exposure to high levels of sulfur dioxide in the air can be life-threatening by causing breathing difficulties and obstructing airways, especially for people with lung disease.
Breathing sulfur dioxide can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs, and cause coughing and shortness of breath. Short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide can cause stomach pain, menstrual disorders, watery eyes, inhibition of thyroid function, loss of smell, headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, convulsions, and dizziness
Adults and children with asthma are sensitive to sulfur dioxide exposure, especially if they are active outdoors. Other people who are sensitive to sulfur dioxide are children, adults, and the elderly who have heart or lung disease

6. SO2 Sulfur Dioxide
Produces Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)also toxic, colorless, smells like burned match, very offensive to respiratory system and eyes.
You may feel SO2on your skin if your skin is wet.
Sulfur dioxide-SO2is acid gas and can cause chemical pneumonia and scarring of the lungs.
SO2is heavier that air and twice as heavy as H2S.
SO2is not flammable and will not burn because it is a by-product of the incomplete combustion of H2S.

7. Properties and Characteristics
Colorless: Not visible in air.
Odor: Smells like rotten eggs at lower concentrations. Higher concentrations will deaden sense of smell

8. Concentration Levels & Effects
Health Effects
10 ppm
Beginning eye irritation
ppm
Slight respiratory tract irritation after 1 hour exposure.
100 ppm
Coughing, eye irritation, loss of sense of smell after 2-15 minutes. Altered respiration, pain in the eyes, and drowsiness after minutes followed by throat irritation after 1 hour. Several hours exposure results in gradual increase in severity of these symptoms and death may occur within the next 48 hours
ppm
Severe respiratory tract irritation after 1 hour of exposure. Possible pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs).
ppm
Loss of consciousness and possibly death in 30 minutes to 1 hour.
700-1,000 ppm
Rapid unconsciousness, loss of respiration, and death after 1-3 minutes.
1,000-2,000ppm
Unconsciousness at once, loss of respiration and death in a few minutes. Death may occur even if individual is removed to fresh air at once.

9. Symptoms of Exposure Eye irritation Fatigue Throat irritation
Skin irritation
Headache
Nausea
Dizziness
Loss of consciousness
Vomiting
Irrational behavior
Coughing
Excitement

10. Toxicity H2S is highly toxic. This gas will kill you!!!
It will suffocate you by attaching itself to the red blood cells in your bloodstream and prevent them from carrying oxygen to the tissues and organs of the body.
As the toxic gas builds up in your bloodstream, you will find yourself breathing faster and faster. The faster you breathe, the more H2S enters your lungs. It will paralyze the respiratory control center in your brain.
You will cease to breathe and cardiac arrest may follow. Depending on the concentration of the gas, this can happen in as fast as 3 minutes or less.
Alcohol or drugs can enhance or quicken this process.

11. Hazard Awareness

12. Hazard Classifications
No Hazard Condition
Any well that will not penetrate a known Hydrogen Sulfide formation
Condition I - Low Hazard
Work locations where atmospheric concentrations of H2S are less than 10ppm
Hydrogen Sulfide warning sign with green flag warning device present.
Condition II - Medium Hazard
Work locations where atmospheric concentrations of H2S are greater than 10ppm and less than 30ppm.
Legible Hydrogen Sulfide warning sign with yellow flag warning device present
Condition III - High Hazard
Work locations where atmospheric concentrations of H2S are greater than 30ppm.
Legible Hydrogen Sulfide warning sign with red flag warning device and signs posted 500 feet from the location on each road leading to the location.

13. GO CROSSWIND AND UPWIND!
WHICH WAY TO GO?
WIND DIRECTION
SOURCE OF H2S
CONCENTRATION DECREASES FROM CENTER
CONCENTRATION DECREASES AWAY FROM SOURCE
GO CROSSWIND AND UPWIND!

14. Rescue
Rescue requires rescue training and practice drills. NEVER attempt a rescue you are not properly trained for.
Move victim upwind or crosswind away from H2S.
Initiate rescue breathing if breathing has stopped. If you are trained to do so, you may use a resuscitator.
After victim has received treatment, seek medical attention.

15. Summary H2S is highly toxic Do not depend on smell
Look for signs and/or flags
Always try to stay upwind of the H2S source.
If trapped downwind: move crosswind then upwind to rescue yourself
Never attempt a rescue