Posted on 09/12/2021 6:53:48 PM PDT by BenLurkin
An employee at the plant told WRAL News that, working in these settings can be risk. The employee, who asked to not be identified, said it's likely the two employees found unresponsive were exposed to hydrogen sulfide while working in the pit. High exposures to the gas can be extremely dangerous, and even deadly, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"Every single employee has an H2S [hydrogen sulfide] monitor that will start beeping if it detects H2S in the air, and the faster it beeps, the higher the content," explained the Valley Proteins employee.
The Valley Proteins employee said workers knew something was wrong Sunday when an employee tried to radio in and didn't receive a response.
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
what state?
These poor guys were trying to work. Sounds like an awful job.
NC
(You can probably only get to that link if you're registered on FB.)
Let me guess. It was two females. Am I right?
Just a sad story to read.
I’m in FB jail for the next few months.
We are just a over week past the 30th anniversary of the Hamlet, NC chicken processing plant fire in 1991. 25 people were killed in that one.
“What happens if you inhale hydrogen sulfide?
Symptoms of acute exposure include nausea, headaches, delirium, disturbed equilibrium, tremors, convulsions, and skin and eye irritation. Inhalation of high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can produce extremely rapid unconsciousness and death.”
If you need to wear a monitor in that area it’s probably too late when it goes off. Sounds like they really needed constant supply air masks not alarms. Prayers for the family’s.
I work at a plating plant. A man was inside a tank cleaning it out and dropped dead because he mixed 2 chemicals together which caused an odorless deadly gas. 3 other men died trying to save each other.
https://www.osha.gov/hydrogen-sulfide/hazards
Concentration
(ppm)
Symptoms/Effects
0.00011-0.00033
Typical background concentrations
0.01-1.5
Odor threshold (when rotten egg smell is first noticeable to some). Odor becomes more offensive at 3-5 ppm. Above 30 ppm, odor described as sweet or sickeningly sweet.
2-5
Prolonged exposure may cause nausea, tearing of the eyes, headaches or loss of sleep. Airway problems (bronchial constriction) in some asthma patients.
20
Possible fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, irritability, poor memory, dizziness.
50-100
Slight conjunctivitis (”gas eye”) and respiratory tract irritation after 1 hour. May cause digestive upset and loss of appetite.
100
Coughing, eye irritation, loss of smell after 2-15 minutes (olfactory fatigue). Altered breathing, drowsiness after 15-30 minutes. Throat irritation after 1 hour. Gradual increase in severity of symptoms over several hours. Death may occur after 48 hours.
100-150
Loss of smell (olfactory fatigue or paralysis).
200-300
Marked conjunctivitis and respiratory tract irritation after 1 hour. Pulmonary edema may occur from prolonged exposure.
500-700
Staggering, collapse in 5 minutes. Serious damage to the eyes in 30 minutes. Death after 30-60 minutes.
700-1000
Rapid unconsciousness, “knockdown” or immediate collapse within 1 to 2 breaths, breathing stops, death within minutes.
1000-2000
Nearly instant death
Nasty stuff
Shouldn’t require any kind of special monitor for H2S: it’s characteristic odor is rotten eggs...
North Carolina
Apparently it can cause the sense of smell to flake out so that if you are in an area where you smell it and stop smelling it, you need to leave post haste.
It may not be an indicator that you are away from the gas, but an indicator that the gas is poisoning you.
I tried to find out more in a google search but haven’t had any luck yet.
Here….
https://hsi.com/blog/how-to-protect-against-the-dangers-of-hydrogen-sulfide-h2s
Although hydrogen sulfide can be detected by its rotten egg scent, odor should not be used to confirm its presence since we lose our ability to distinguish an odor after prolonged exposure, and if the concentration is high enough we won’t be able to smell hydrogen sulfide at all.
Wow....What did you post? Repeat offender?
I think I’ve been to that plant. The smell was awful.
Rendering is useful, but unpleasant and dangerous.
It was a painting of the crucifixion of Jesus. It showed His feet. They said it is too violent.
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