Companies who work with industrial chemicals depend on multiple types of equipment to keep their employees and machinery safe and to keep their products contained.The gas leakage detection system is often crucial to company efforts to maintain a healthy work environment.Hazards of chemical leaks can include equipment damage due to explosions or fires, and personnel injury or death due to burns, suffocation, or direct physical contact with the released substance.
Hydrogen Sulfide Detection Is Vital
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) is one of the most dangerous chemicals in several industries. It is flammable, corrosive and colorless gas that is created by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. In moderate concentrations it can be detected due to its rotten egg smell, but even in small amounts, it can mask its presence by desensitizing the sense of smell, so smell is not a reliable indicator of its presence. In large concentrations, it can instantly disable the sense of smell. A reliable H2S gas detector is an important accessory for every employee of petroleum refineries, utility plants and wastewater treatment and other facilities which involve the production of this dangerous substance.
Health Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide Are Serious
Inhalation distributes the irritant throughout the respiratory tract and other mucous membranes.Exposure leads to eye and skin irritation as well as suffocation symptoms such as headache and nausea.Nervous system damage can result immediatelyafter access to the gas, so a fast-acting H2S gas detector is needed to protect the body.High concentrations lead to coma, paralysis, seizures and death with a short, minimal exposure.Those rendered unconscious may have lasting after effects such as fluid in the lungs, headaches and mental and motor function delays. Repeated exposure has the potential to cause skin and eye irritation, low blood pressure and weight loss due to low appetite.There are no reliable antidotes to hydrogen sulfide poisoning.
Equipment Damage Is Also Possible
Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air and may be found accumulated in low confined spaces. With the addition of water either from the floor or from the humidity in the air, the substance can transform into sulfuric acid, which possibly leads to corrosion of metal surfaces throughout the facility. Other safety hazards are possible if the equipment were to break or leak.
In affected environments, a reliable, fast-acting H2S gas detector may be necessary to detect and alert employees to the presence of hydrogen sulfide, as the human body is usually not a reliable means of identification, and the health effects are often severe.As with any electronic safety equipment, regular testing and calibration is necessary for reliable results.
