Maritime Personnel Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Training

February 14, 2019 by

H2S Safety for Maritime Personnel

Are you aware of the dangers of hydrogen sulfide? H2S is colorless, flammable, and sometimes odorless, depending on the circumstances. H2S is 19% heavier than air, making it more likely to collect in a worker’s breathing zone, which can lead to major health and safety issues.

If you work in the maritime industry, then you may already know that you’re at a higher risk for H2S exposure. Hydrogen sulfide is commonly found in cargos containing crude oil, #6 oil, refined hydrocarbons, or molten sulphur. It can also occur in voids containing decomposing organic materials, such as sewage.

Promoting H2S safety for maritime personnel is critical, because hydrogen sulfide can cause severe health problems in a short period of time:

• In low concentrations, H2S can cause eye, lung, or throat irritation, along with nausea, loss of appetite, or insomnia.
• In high concentrations, even a single breath of H2S is enough to induce immediate respiratory arrest.

With so much on the line, providing comprehensive maritime hydrogen sulfide training to your team is vital. Each employee should be aware of the equipment, safety procedures, and good workplace practices that help save lives.

At Moxie Media, we have over three decades of experience working with the maritime industry. Our maritime personnel H2S training is an invaluable asset to reducing accidents and workers’ compensation, while improving job satisfaction and productivity.

Understanding H2S Maritime Hazards

Hydrogen sulfide poses hazards to anyone who encounters it, and maritime workers are at high risk of exposure. With our H2S training for maritime personnel, you can help make your workers aware of these hazards. By teaching employees about the potential effects of H2S in their workplace, you can encourage safe practices and proper use of H2S protective equipment.

Hydrogen sulfide concentrations as low as 10 parts per million (ppm) are considered unhealthy by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Currently, OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) for the maritime industry is a time-weighted average of 10 ppm.

The effects of hydrogen sulfide depend largely on several factors, such as the amount of hydrogen sulfide a person is exposed to and the length of that exposure. Moxie Media’s hydrogen sulfide maritime training educates workers about these hazards in detail.

Low Levels of Exposure (10 ppm or Less)

At exposure levels of 10 ppm or less, workers can easily detect the presence of hydrogen sulfide by a noticeable odor. Common effects of exposure to low concentrations of H2S include eye irritation, redness, and soreness. Repeated or prolonged exposure at low concentration levels can cause eye inflammation, headaches, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and weight loss. 

Lower concentration levels of H2S need to be closely monitored to keep workers safe and prevent levels from exceeding OSHA’s permissible exposure limit. 

Moderate Levels of Exposure (21–99 ppm)

Typically, anything between 21 and 99 ppm is considered a moderate level of exposure to H2S. If your worksite has moderate concentration levels of hydrogen sulfide, workers must wear respiratory and eye protection. At about 30 ppm, hydrogen sulfide’s odor cannot be detected. It is crucial that your team has proper maritime personnel H2S training to help them identify exposure to H2S. Prolonged exposure at this level can result in harmful eye damage, nausea, migraine headaches, and vomiting.

High Levels of Exposure (100 ppm or Higher)

At 100 ppm or higher, immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) limits have been surpassed. Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be supplied. Effects of exposure to high levels of hydrogen sulfide can be serious and life-threatening.

Our hydrogen sulfide maritime training course provides your workforce with lifesaving, expert knowledge on H2S safety and prevention. Using modern eLearning techniques, we make training relevant and engaging for maritime workers. Give your employees the H2S maritime training they need to assess potentially dangerous situations involving hydrogen sulfide today.

4 Ways to Protect Your Team from H2S

For any hydrogen sulfide maritime training program to be effective, it has to lead to action. Consider these top ways to protect your team from the hazards of hydrogen sulfide.

1. Administrative Measures

The best overall safety measure you can integrate to protect your workforce from H2S is the employment of administrative controls. Administrative measures come in many different forms, but they all work together to help you foster a safer work environment.

For example, you should conduct routine assessments to monitor the levels of H2S in your work environment. This is crucial not only to work safety, but also to maintain compliance with industry regulations. You can also easily track and keep digital records on employee training with our learning management system (LMS), making sure all workers complete their maritime hydrogen sulfide training on time and with passing quiz scores.

2. H2S Training for Maritime Personnel

In particular, implementing a maritime personnel H2S training and safety program is a highly effective administration measure you can take to safeguard your workers’ health. Due to the dangers maritime workers face, it is also important to choose industry-specific H2S training. That’s why Moxie has separate courses for maritime personnel and oil and gas workers. With the proper education, your team will be adept in detecting H2S, protecting against exposure, and responding to potential incidents caused by hydrogen sulfide. 

3. Detection Systems

Your sense of smell is usually the first to notice the presence of harmful gases. But some concentration levels of hydrogen sulfide can’t be identified by an odor. Therefore, it’s important to enforce the use of detection systems on maritime worksites. Similarly, workers should receive H2S maritime training that educates them about gas detection equipment so it can be used effectively.

Detection systems can help identify H2S exposure and alert your team to this danger. There are three different types of H2S maritime detection methods you can use:

• Lead Acetate Tape: When H2S is detected, the tape will turn brown or black. The concentration level is identified by the degree of the color. These should be used in conjunction with the other methods for accuracy. 
• Electronic Detectors: A portable electronic gas detector is designed to warn workers of the presence of H2S at or above 10 ppm by automatically sounding an alarm. 
• Colormetric Tubes: These pen-sized tubes are certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to provide appropriate measures of H2S concentration. The tube will change colors depending on the H2S level.

4. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Respiratory protection is the primary form of PPE used to safeguard workers from hydrogen sulfide. At H2S concentration levels greater than 10 ppm, respiratory protection is required to prevent imminent health effects. Personal protective equipment includes supplied air lines known as self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA).

There are certain limitations that may impose problems when using PPE, especially among workers who are uneducated about how to use PPE. Our H2S training for maritime personnel teaches your workforce about the proper components and techniques for using life-saving respiratory protection.

Demo Our Maritime Personnel H2S Training Free!

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