Hydrogen Sulfide and Hydrogen Cyanide: Silent Killers

Hydrogen Sulfide and Hydrogen Cyanide: Silent Killers

PRESENTED BY: Benjamin Block, M.S., Senior Industrial Hygiene Consultant, MIOSHA CET

WHEN: Tuesday, June 16 at 12 PM

• VIRTUAL ONLY
• CEUs will be available

Description:

Employers in the oil and gas industry are aware of the hazards associated with hydrogen sulfide. However, many outside this industry fail to recognize how common, and how deadly, exposure to hydrogen sulfide can be. A naturally occurring byproduct of organic material degradation, hydrogen sulfide can accumulate in numerous industries and result in employee injury and death. First responders must be aware of the risks of hydrogen sulfide and the industries in their jurisdiction where this hazard can occur. As a bonus to first responder attendees, additional discussion regarding carbon monoxide’s toxic twin, hydrogen cyanide, will be addressed.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn what hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen cyanide area, how they form, and where they hide.
2. Understand when they pose a hazard to our employees and what they can do to our employees’ health.
3. Gather the resources necessary to make informed decisions in establishing policies and procedures to protect our employees from injurious and potentially fatal inhalations of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen cyanide.

Speaker Bio:

Ben Block is a Senior Industrial Hygienist with the Consultation, Education, and Training Division (CET) of MIOSHA. Ben currently provides consultation and training services for 18 Michigan counties from Branch and Hillsdale through Clare, Gladwin, and Arenac. He is a member of the MIOSHA Oil and Gas and Disaster Response Teams. Before working with CET, Ben worked in MIOSHA’s enforcement division for several years. Ben has previous safety and health experience in the Southwest’s mining industry and comes from a background of overseas wildlife conservation and anti-poaching work. Ben is a graduate of Hillsdale College with a B.S. in Biology and holds a M.S. in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development from the University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability.