Hydrogen Sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an invisible hazard

that can be released and produced during
industry processes, such as drilling.

H2S can also develop naturally in oxygen

deficient environments, such as bogs, swamps,
polluted water, and manure pits.

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 2
 H2S can collect in:
 Low-lying areas
 Any enclosed facility or piping that contains
H2S or H2S-contaminated fluids
 Pits
 Tanks
 Vacuum trucks
 Confined spaces

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 3
 At high concentrations,
H2S can kill in a single
breath.

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 4
 Multiple agencies provide guidelines to help
workers avoid H2S exposure, including the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

ANSI recently updated its Z-390 standard for

Accepted Practices for Hydrogen Sulfide
Safety Training Programs.

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 5
 The 2006 version of the ANSI Z-390 standard
was revised to address:
References to obsolete technology
Non-flexible presentation format
Required presentation of material that wasn’t pertinent to most
workers
Structure of document
Visitor training
Refresher training
Threshold limit value–time-weighted average (TLV-TWA)

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 6
 The updated 2017 version of the ANSI
Z-390 standard now:
References updated technology
Has flexible structure open to partial remote instruction
States that students must be presented with relevant information to ensure their
safety
Has an improved structure
States that visitors must receive full worker training program
Requires refresher training annually with full course presentation

Includes the updated American Conference of Governmental Industrial

Hygienists (ACGIH) TLV-TWA
PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 7
 Companies must use engineering and
administrative controls to protect workers from
H2S exposure and provide workers with training
appropriate to their potential level of exposure to
H2S.

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 8
 Some examples of what training should cover
include:
 Wind direction awareness and routes of
egress
 What to do in an emergency
 Participating in drills

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 9
 H2S goes by many names, including The Silent
Killer, rotten egg gas, swamp gas, and sour gas.

Characteristics of H2S include:

 Highly toxic, colorless gas
 Extremely flammable, may ignite at high
temperatures
 Extremely explosive, containers of H2S may
explode if exposed to fire or handled carelessly

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 10
 You can only smell low concentrations
of H2S.

At high concentrations, H2S impairs and

eventually wipes out your sense of
smell. Do not use your nose to detect
H2S.

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 11
 You can be Inhalation is your
exposed to H2S main concern.
through:
Inhalation
Skin contact

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 12
 Symptoms of H2S exposure include:
Acute Toxicity
• Loss of sense of smell
• Excitement or giddiness
• Eye irritation
• Coughing and sneezing
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Respiratory tract irritation
• Diarrhea
PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2
Chronic Toxicity
• Eye irritation
• Corneal blistering, pitting, and opacity
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Respiratory tract irritation
• Pulmonary edema
• Loss of appetite
• Sleep disturbances
13
 The industry accepted exposure level for H2S is
10 ppm:
 Check with your company for its accepted
exposure level

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 14
 If the H2S concentration may exceed 10 ppm, you
need to wear a personal monitor:
 Position the monitor as close to your mouth
and nose as possible to measure air from the
breathing zone
 If your monitor goes off,
leave the area immediately

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 15
 Wind conditions tell you which way H2S will
spread:
 Check the windsock or streamer regularly and
any time you are unsure which way the wind
is blowing
 Stay on the upwind side
 Make sure you are not downwind of an H2S
source
 Always move crosswind and then
upwind to get away from an H2S source

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 16
 ANSI and the American Petroleum Institute (API)
recommend wearing one of the following respirators
when you work in environments with more than 10 ppm
H2S:
 Positive-pressure full-facepiece hoseline/airline
supplied-air respirator (SAR) and carry an escape
pack
 Positive-pressure self-contained breathing
apparatus (SCBA)

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 17
 H2S is a deadly hazard that can kill you in a single
breath. Know your role in your company’s H 2S
contingency plan and participate in drills.

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 18
 Do not rely on your sense of smell to
detect the presence of H2S.

Always wear a personal monitor when

working in potential H2S environments.
If your monitor goes off, leave the
area immediately.

PPT-SM-H2S 2017 v2 19
Copyright © 2016 by PEC/Premier Safety Operations, LLC