Jan11, Garden City, TX- One worker was killed and three others were injured in a Texas gas processing plant, probably due to a leakage of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) gas. The accident ocurred at an oilfield site in Glasscock county.
They were all working atop a tank battery when apparently one of them fell down, the result of Hydrogen Sulfide’s feared “knockout effect” . The gas is deadly because it has a bad smell in lower concentrations (smells like rotten eggs), but in higher concentrations, it simply desensitizes the human nose, which can no longer smell it and hence the “knockout effect”.
What is surprising in this case is that all of them were reportedly wearing Hydrogen Sulfide gas monitors, that are supposed to measure the H2S concentration in the ambient air and sound an alarm if dangerous levels are detected. It is not clear if the instruments did not work, or whether the workers simply ignored them.
The workers were rushed via an air ambulance to a hospital, but it was too late for one of them. The rest are still serious, although stable.
The incident once again highlights the safety precautions that need to be taken when dealing with Hydrogen Sulfide gas.
Category: Gas Detectors