Training that might not be worth having

Hydrogen sulfide exposure?

When at high school we studied David Copperfield. Turned me off books for life :grinning:
There was mention of Brimstone and treacle.
I thought it sounded interesting so invested in the products and dosed up. Actually liked the taste.
Mention of H2S takes me back to those heady crazy days of youthfulness!
The output from that stuff is putrid.
They worry about cows and methane. That pales into insignificance compared to B&T

If you've never read any of Charles Dickens then unless you want to read about 5 pages describing only how to tie your laces (for egs) then give it a miss. He was laborious.

A recent boundary survey had a poison gas pipeline along the quarter mile east boundary.
Some days I believe that there are as many miles of pipeline in Cass County there are miles of roads and highways.
There are so many that some are not maintained anymore because they have disappeared and been covered by forest and are only know of because of the mention blanket easement on the property.
In some areas it is not uncommon to stumble upon valves and uncovered pipe in the middle of a thicket

Jim Frame, post: 426557, member: 10 wrote: Hydrogen sulfide exposure?

Yes, it's deadly, best to avoid it at all costs.

So, when I'm trudging through the thicket with my gun on my back & my tripod on my shoulder, and I smell rotten eggs, what's the safest course of action - after, of course, eliminating the possibility that it's emanating from my companion(s)........

Sergeant Schultz, post: 426572, member: 315 wrote: So, when I'm trudging through the thicket with my gun on my back & my tripod on my shoulder, and I smell rotten eggs, what's the safest course of action - after, of course, eliminating the possibility that it's emanating from my companion(s)........

Don't go downhill

Watched a crew fixing a leak in a natural gas line once. One of them stepped out of the hole and had a smoke less than 20 feet away. Apparently its harder to light than most people think.

thebionicman, post: 426595, member: 8136 wrote: Watched a crew fixing a leak in a natural gas line once. One of them stepped out of the hole and had a smoke less than 20 feet away. Apparently its harder to light than most people think.

Seen that done a number of times by old timers at a local utility. Many decades back though, that wouldn't fly today.
Scary was watching the old welders brasing a tap onto an active steel gas line.

Richard, post: 426559, member: 833 wrote: When at high school we studied David Copperfield. Turned me off books for life :grinning:
There was mention of Brimstone and treacle.
I thought it sounded interesting so invested in the products and dosed up. Actually liked the taste.
Mention of H2S takes me back to those heady crazy days of youthfulness!
The output from that stuff is putrid.
They worry about cows and methane. That pales into insignificance compared to B&T

If you've never read any of Charles Dickens then unless you want to read about 5 pages describing only how to tie your laces (for egs) then give it a miss. He was laborious.

I love to read classic literature, and I've read some Dickens I enjoyed, but last year I got about 20% into David Copperfield and bailed. It was just too depressing. Currently reading Damon Runyan, and that is most pleasant, with O'Henry twists. Next up will be The Sand Pebbles.

I understand the jokes, but Hydrogen Sulfide really isn't something to mess with. This was only a few months ago.

R.J. Schneider, post: 426596, member: 409 wrote: Scary was watching the old welders brasing a tap onto an active steel gas line.

I watched that once and asked the foreman about the danger. He said they use a reducing flame (more acetylene than oxygen) and that the gas leaking out of the pipe is too rich a mixture to ignite in air anyway. I guess it has to dissipate a bit to become an ignitable mix. Still, the concept is a little unnerving.

We deal with that daily. We work on active oil well pads and gas processing facilities, and have to have H2S training annually. Safety and hazard awareness is a big deal in the oil and gas production industry. Depending on the site a personal H2S or multi-gas monitor is mandatory, along with flame resistant clothing. At lethal concentrations H2S paralyses your sense of smell quickly, which is why we have to wear the monitors. Alarm sounds at 10 ppm, about 10% of the lethal concentration.

H2S monitor is a must when working in an area where it's possible to encounter it. As Rick said, at lethal concentrations you'll be dead before you smell it.

For the upcoming crop of young Surveyors:

"Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic and flammable gas. Because it is heavier than air it tends to accumulate at the bottom of poorly ventilated spaces. Although very pungent at first, it quickly deadens the sense of smell, so potential victims may be unaware of its presence until it is too late. H2S arises from virtually anywhere where elemental sulfur comes into contact with organic material, especially at high temperatures. Hydrogen sulfide is a covalent hydride chemically related to water (H2O) since oxygen and sulfur occur in the same periodic table group. It often results when bacteria break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, such as in swamps, and sewers aka manholes (alongside the process of anaerobic digestion)."
😎

tfdoubleyou, post: 426602, member: 12051 wrote: I understand the jokes, but Hydrogen Sulfide really isn't something to mess with. This was only a few months ago.

Moreno descended into the hole without his air tank because he could not fit through the hole with it..

Without knowing more of the deceased worker's backgrounds, I'll be somewhat sympathetic to them. It's possible they were never told to EVER enter a confined space with out proper ppe, etc. If they were, shame on them.

The firefighter, well, I feel bad for his family and everyone else that is dealing with his actions. When I went through 40 hr HAZWOPER, we learned how to doff the air tank while keeping the mask on our face. That training is nothing compared to what firefighters go through. He should have know better.

We may not be able to stop the stupidity/complacency of others. We can however do things to remain safe if we choose to do so. Sometimes that choice is to not put ourselves in a potentially dangerous situation in the first place. If given the chance, when that alarm blows, I'm headed upwind - FAST!

Richard, post: 426559, member: 833 wrote: When at high school we studied David Copperfield. Turned me off books for life :grinning:
There was mention of Brimstone and treacle.
I thought it sounded interesting so invested in the products and dosed up. Actually liked the taste.
Mention of H2S takes me back to those heady crazy days of youthfulness!
The output from that stuff is putrid.
They worry about cows and methane. That pales into insignificance compared to B&T

If you've never read any of Charles Dickens then unless you want to read about 5 pages describing only how to tie your laces (for egs) then give it a miss. He was laborious.

Could not read Herman Melville not matter how hard I tried...

Bruce Small, post: 426601, member: 1201 wrote: I love to read classic literature, and I've read some Dickens I enjoyed, but last year I got about 20% into David Copperfield and bailed. It was just too depressing. Currently reading Damon Runyan, and that is most pleasant, with O'Henry twists. Next up will be The Sand Pebbles.

Have read a lot of David McCullough....The Path Between the Seas, The Wright Brothers, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge..

[MEDIA=youtube]BDSn3PdEM5I[/MEDIA]

FL/GA PLS., post: 426665, member: 379 wrote: For the upcoming crop of young Surveyors:

and old farts also
Thanks FL/GA fills in the gaps and explains why sulphur & treacle meeting in dark confined space caused such a commotion. Needs a health and safety warning on the food labels.