Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration Consultation Education &

Training Di ision

HYDROGEN SULFIDE & SOUR CRUDE OIL "HAZARD TO LIFE A POTENTIAL KILLER"
The primary and essential difference !et"een regular crude oil and #sour# crude oil is the presence of a gas $no"n as hydrogen sulfide %H&S'( )n ery lo" concentrations* less than + part of gas in a million parts of air %,+ ppm'* it has a characteristic odor li$e that of rotten eggs( )n high concentrations* it has other important characteristics( +(

Hydrogen su !"de "s e#$re%e y $o#"&(

A ma-or factor in its to.icity is its a!ility to fatigue the sense of smell( H&S loses the typical rotten eggs odor "hen the concentration rises* and e.posed "or$ers may not !e a"are of increased gas concentrations( E.posure to concentrations a!o e /00 ppm can !e rapidly fatal(

&( 1(

I$ &'uses e#$re%e &orros"on(

olume in air(

Corrosion of pipes* al es and fittings can cause a !rea$do"n of gas and oil gathering systems and !e a serious threat to employees and the pu!lic(

T(e g's "s ! '%%') e 'nd !or%s e#* os"+e %"#$ures in a range of 2(13 to 24(43 !y

The follo"ing information deals primarily "ith the to.icity of H&S( Dismayed !y a num!er of deaths resulting from hydrogen sulfide* the seriousness of the ha5ard can !e e.plained in the follo"ing "ay6 +( #The to.icity and r'*"d"$y hydrogen cyanide(

o! de'$( from e.posure to hydrogen sulfide approaches that of

Cyanides ha e had !etter 7press7 co erages than the sulfides( )f states had e.acted the death penalty !y the use of hydrogen sulfide rather than hydrogen cyanide* "e might ha e greater respect for the hydrogen sulfide ha5ard(# &( #E.posure to hydrogen sulfide rapidly produces o

!'&$ory !'$"gue8

Stated more simply* it puts your nose 7out of !usiness7( 9rom then on* odor is no longer an indicator of the ha5ard and gas concentrations may increase to a ha5ardous le el "ith no detecta!le change( The e.posed indi idual loses the a!ility to gauge e.posure( )n one plant "here hydrogen sulfide "as released from a chemical operation* the operator "as as$ed a!out the gas and his response "as6 7Oh* do you smell hydrogen sulfide: ) noticed it "hen ) started this morning !ut thought it had stopped !ecause ) ha en7t smelled it for some time(7#

M)OSHA;CET<402+ %1;02'

Authority6 =(A( +42 of +>?2

=age & 1( #Comparing the effects of hydrogen sulfide to the effects of ethyl alcohol %the acti e ingredient in !our!on* scotch* gin* !eer* etc(8'6 )f you inhale ethyl alcohol apors in a concentration of +000 ppm %0(+3 !y olume' for eight hours* you may get drun$( )f you inhale hydrogen sulfide in a concentration of +000 ppm %0(+3 !y olume' for only a fe" seconds* you "ill !e dead(# @ou may as$* "H's $("s g's ," ed *eo* e 'nd under -('$ &"r&u%s$'n&es." Read on<< AA T"o employees of a fertili5er company in Riga* Michigan* "ere assigned to install a ne" float al e in an old 14<foot deep cistern for a ne" 100<foot "ell( This cistern "as co ered "ith a concrete sla! "ith entry through a co ered manhole( The first "or$er entered the cistern and as he reached a plan$ platform si. feet !elo" the opening* he "as instantly o ercome and fell unconscious into the "ater !elo"( The man on the surface immediately ran to the near!y plant for help( Se eral "or$men responded and t"o of them entered the cistern to render aid( They met the fate of the first "or$er( A passer!y "ho had !een dra"n to the scene !y the cro"d "hich had gathered "as told !y an e.cited !ystander that se eral men in the cistern "ere dro"ning( Bpon hearing this* he shouted* #) can s"im* ) can s"im# and pulled a"ay from a company employee "ho "as trying to restrain him( Co" there "ere four !odies in the "ell( Shortly after"ard the fire department arri ed at the scene "ith proper rescue eDuipment( The fire chief entered the cistern "earing a self<contained !reathing apparatus( After reaching the plan$ platform* he remo ed his face mas$ to shout instructions to those on the surface and he* too* "as instantly o ercome( All fi e persons died in the cistern( Tests of the cistern atmosphere re ealed that H&S in a concentration of a!out +000 parts per million "as present "hen the fi e deaths occurred( The "ater pumped up from the deep "ell contained dissol ed hydrogen sulfide "hich "as released in the un entilated cistern( AA )n the construction of a "ater inta$e in Eayne County* an electrician descended to the !ottom of a 4&<foot deep shaft "here he "as o ercome !y hydrogen sulfide !eing released from "ater seeping into the tunnel( Although the presence of hydrogen sulfide "as $no"n and entilation "as usually pro ided* at the time of the "or$er7s entry the entilation "as not operating and no gas tests "ere made( Three "or$ers "ho attempted rescue efforts also collapsed at the !ottom of the shaft( 9ortunately* there "as an ample supply of compressed air a aila!le and air hoses "ere dropped into the shaft to pro ide dilution air( A muc$ !uc$et "as lo"ered !y crane and the unconscious "or$ers "ere returned to the surface( The three rescuers reco ered !ut the first "or$er died of e.posure to H&S( 9or incidents relating to sour crude oil* perhaps the earliest reported occurred at =o5a Rica* Me.ico( T"enty<t"o persons died and 1&0 "ere hospitali5ed as a result of e.posure to hydrogen sulfide "hich "as released into the atmosphere "ithin a &0<minute period( The source of the gas appeared to !e a malfunctioning flare intended to !urn off e.cess gas from a sulfur reco ery plant( The symptoms of the affected people %loss of smell* se ere headache* nausea and unconsciousness' relate primarily to e.posure to H&S( The gas coming into the plant contained 1(+23 %1+*200 ppm' hydrogen sulfide and +43 car!on dio.ide( The gas piped to the flare contained F+3 car!on dio.ide* +/3 hydrogen sulfide and 13 hydrocar!ons and "ater( AA Cine persons* including an oil company employee summoned !y a call for help* "ere $illed !y gases lea$ing from an unattended car!on dio.ide in-ection system designed to e.tract oil from a "est Te.as "ell( Eight of the ictims "ere in a house +00 yards from the "ell( A spo$esman for the Te.as Department of =u!lic Safety said that the gases "ere hydrogen sulfide and car!on dio.ide( H &S "as !lamed for the deaths(

AA

=age 1 AA T"o Otter La$e* Michigan* illage employees dro e a tan$ truc$ to a sour oil "ell tan$ farm to o!tain "aste !rine( Ehen they failed to get a flo" of !rine from a ground le el connection -ust outside the tan$ farm di$e* they proceeded to the !rine tan$( One employee "ent to the top of the tan$ "hich "as +1 feet a!o e the ground( At this point he yelled a "arning and "as instantly o ercome !y escaping
2

hydrogen sulfide<rich gas( He "as later found dead on the platform !eside the top of the tan$( The other "or$er "aiting near the top of the stairs "as o ercome and collapsed !efore he could retreat( 9ortunately* he fell do"n the stair"ay out of the area of contamination and regained consciousness( The hatch that had !een opened "as up"ind of the access platform and a!out t"o feet a!o e it( )n re ie"ing the cases related a!o e* the follo"ing is clear6 +( &( 1( Hydrogen sulfide is a deadly gas( )t can $ill "ithout "arning( Deaths ha e occurred in operations related to sour crude oil( Deaths ha e occurred from H&S e.posures in open air locations as "ell as confined places( @ou must a!ide !y applica!le health and safety rules in these situations( This !ulletin is intended as a source of general pu!lic information and may not contain all of the details pertinent to specific ha5ard identification and;or control of personal e.posure( 9or further information* consult M)OSHA* Consultation Education and Training Di ision* ?+40 Harris Dri e* =(O( Go. 10/21* Lansing* Michigan 2F>0><F+21( Telephone6 %4+?' 1&&<+F0>(