While wrapping up a 2023 project, I was saddened to see the image below while in the OSHA incident database. Several things come to mind regarding these H2S incidents:
1) no other chemical in the database has this deadly percentage over the past three (3) years
2) Hydrogen Sulfide has GREAT warning properties (odor threshold 0.008 to 0.1 ppm), but with that also comes Olfactory Fatigue (@ 100 ppm)
3) One might suspect these were Permit-Required Confined Space accidents, but many occurred outside a PRCS
4) Several of the deaths were due to H2S being a FLAMMABLE GAS; yes, H2S is both HIGHLY TOXIC and EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE
And the one thing that may be a driver of these deaths…
5) in the vast majority of these deaths, the H2S was CREATED NATURALLY. It was not released from a cylinder/container for shipping or storage of H2S!
| # | Summary Nr | Event Date | Report ID | Fatality | NAICS | Event Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 154242.01 | 02/24/2023 | 0830300 | X | 213112 | Employee Is Killed In Confined Area Due To Overexposure To V |
| 2 | 149915.01 | 09/19/2022 | 0627500 | X | 541620 | Employee Is Killed While Pumping Waste Water |
| 3 | 149136.01 | 08/22/2022 | 0522300 | X | 562211 | One Employee Is Killed And Three Employees Are Injured When |
| 4 | 147970.01 | 06/26/2022 | 0653510 | X | 213112 | Two Employees Are Killed Inside Tank Due To Hydrogen Sulfide |
| 5 | 146891.01 | 06/07/2022 | 0452110 | X | 221112 | Employee Dies From Inhalation Of Hydrogen Sulfide |
| 6 | 146481.01 | 05/14/2022 | 0627510 | X | 484110 | Employee Is Killed And Two Employees Incur Burns When Ignite |
| 7 | 145866.01 | 11/26/2021 | 0951510 | X | 221320 | Employee Dies Of Natural Causes In Permit-Required Confined |
| 8 | 145747.01 | 10/28/2021 | 0653510 | 213111 | Employee Is Burned When Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Ignites | |
| 9 | 139143.01 | 09/12/2021 | 0453710 | X | 311613 | Two Employees Are Killed When Overcome By Hydrogen Sulfide |
| 10 | 139073.01 | 08/29/2021 | 0950411 | X | 811198 | Two Employees Are Killed By Hydrogen Sulfide Exposure |
| 11 | 138824.01 | 08/27/2021 | 0551800 | X | 447110 | Employee Is Killed When Exposed To Hydrogen Sulfide |
| 12 | 136167.01 | 06/08/2021 | 0213600 | X | 237310 | One Employee Is Killed And Another Experiences Health Issues |
| 13 | 136124.01 | 06/07/2021 | 0521100 | X | 541990 | Employee Is Killed When Overexposed To H2s During Confined S |
| 14 | 136332.01 | 05/25/2021 | 0653510 | X | 562212 | Two Employees Are Killed From Overexposure To Gas In Vault |
| 15 | 128141.01 | 07/24/2020 | 0626000 | X | 237110 | Four Employees Are Exposed To Hydrogen Sulfide Gas; One Empl |
| 16 | 127680.01 | 07/09/2020 | 0626600 | X | 562998 | Two Employees Are Asphyxiated In Sewer Line Manhole |
| 17 | 126541.01 | 05/29/2020 | 0454722 | X | 221310 | Employee Is Killed After Overexposure To Hydrogen Sulfide/Dr |