Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S)

Hazard identification
 Overview
H2S is deadly and poisonous
Great care and strictly safety procedures must
be administered
When dealing with H2S, we need to know;
Characteristics of H2S
Sources and areas of possible release
Protective equipment available
Emergency equipment and procedures
 Physical properties
Colorless gas
When pure, density is higher than air. A mixture with
other gases may be lighter or heavier
Bad egg odor (detected at 0.1 ppm)
Above 150 ppm the sense of smell is fatigued ( odor
becomes sweet or disappears)
Pure H2S burns readily in air. Wide flammable limits
4.5 45%.
Auto ignition temperature is 250o.
Highly soluble in water and forms corrosive acid
 Chemical properties
Has weak acidic properties like CO2 and SO2
Can be partially oxidized to form sulfur and water
When dissolved in water forms an acid solution that
is moderately corrosive at higher temperature. Can
corrode sewers, steel pipes and vessels. Can also
cause stress corrosion cracking
Reacts with alkaline material such as ammonia and
caustic soda. Reacts with salts such as lead acetate
Reacts with iron and iron scale in exothermic
reaction cause localized heating
 Toxicity
H2S concentration, ppm Physiological effect
0.1 0.5 First detectable smell
10 Limit for 8 hrs working. May cause some nause and eye
irritation
15 Limit for 15 minutes working. Eye and respiratory tract
irritation
50 - 100 Eye and respiratory tract irritation after 1 hour. Longer
exposures to concentration at 100 ppm induces severity.
Death may occur after 4 to 48 hrs
100 Upper limit in carrying out work in breathing apparatus
150 loss of sense of smell
350 Could be fatal after 30 minutes inhalation
700 Rapidly (few minutes) induces unconsciousness & death
700+ Immediately fatal
 Areas of possible release
Crude prefractionator
Atmospheric pipestill
LDO stripper
Diesel Stripper
Absorber deethanizer
Sour gas knock out drum
Overhead reflux drum
Flare header
 Protective equipment
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus 30 minutes sets
Suitable for search & rescue work
Should be kept far away from the potential release areas
Should also be housed in the control room
Protected from rain and dust
Canister Masks
Not satisfactory for rescue or maintenance work
Resuscitators
For rescue operations.
Comes in a box with an oxygen cylinder and automatic
Breathing Regulator
 Detection and measurement
smell
Draeger tubes - sampling
Lead acetate paper
H2S analyzers
 Fire-fighting Techniques
It is very important not to extinguish the flame
of an H2S fire and not to disperse the gas
before it has been burned
Surrounding equipment should be cooled and
attempts made to dissolve and disperse the
sulphur dioxide and products of combustion
Water spray from fixed monitors, fire hydrants
and fire engine should be set up down wind of
the fire or leak to assist dispersion