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The Development and History of H2S Gas Safety in Alberta

In Alberta, the petroleum industry has had  a long and infamous history of  working around hydrogen sulfide gas.  Serious injury, disabilities, knockdowns and fatalities  created a public relations nightmare, motivating the Oil and Gas industry, as a whole,  to set industry standards  for workers  who may be  exposed to hydrogen sulfide  In the early days, a newspaper article publicized that the drilling companies were inviting laborers to enter “the Killing Fields”.
Long gone are the days when there was no legal impact from uncontrolled drilling and production of natural gas, crude oil and petroleum products. that might release H2S.  Workers were untrained, with no safe work procedures, and could be exposed to H2S .  In addition, the public could be exposed during a gas release and blowouts.  Hydrogen sulphide also negatively affected the environment, due to air pollution, from flaring and gas releases during production activities. Uncontrolled blowouts were common, and farmers and nearby towns were exposed to H2S through air pollution, sour spills and hydrogen sulphide entering into underground water wells.
The famous Lodgepole incident in Alberta , where several blowouts knocked down workers and released this poisonous, explosive and corrosive gas into the air, created bad publicity for Oil companies. Over time, pressure was placed on the Petroleum industry to set a standard for safety, to protect their workers, the public and the environment in Western Canada.  Safety organizations, such as Petroleum Industry Training Service, were formed to establish these standards.  After a number of mergers, the organizations changed names, but the program Enform H2S Alive was formulated, to set an entry level training program for workers who could be exposed to this toxic gas with few obvious physical properties.
 This naturally occurring product forms in the province from natural gas reservoirs, hot springs, volcanic gases and crude petroleum.   H2S, also known as stink damp and sewer gas,  can accumulate in sewers, sewage treatment plants or  storage pits in the tanning  and rendering plants. . As a province with large amounts of sulphur
, Hydrogen Sulfide is created naturally by decaying organic matter  which could be  released from  sulphur hot springs, sewage sludge,  and   liquid manure  in farming. ,  It is formed when Sulfur is removed from refining petroleum products and is a by-product of paper in pulp mills.
H2s is often present as a component of untreated intermediate gas and liquid streams that comes from Oil Refineries in the province.
Underground pockets of H2S could be encountered by miners, Well drillers, and workers in tunneling activities. Hydrogen sulphide is also a raw material used  During the manufacturing process.  This could create mercaptans (known as thiols), inorganic sulphides, and  sulphuric acid  that could form H2S.

A common activity in Alberta was to  remove sulphur from petroleum products at oil refineries.  The process units that remove sulphur from the petroleum  are  transported to plants where it is made into sulphuric acids or sulphur.

At oil refineries, Hydrogen Sulfide is produced in process units that remove sulfur from petroleum. It is then transported to a process unit where it is made into Sulfur or Sulfuric acid.
 
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The Enform H2S Alive program  introduces students to the Physical properties of Hydrogen Sulfide.   It  is a colorless, corrosive and very toxic gas with an offensive odor which smells like rotten egg. . It is also highly flammable and can explode when mixed with the correct proportion of air.
 It is a respiratory inhibitor. which affects a persons ability to use their “common sense” or flight/fright response when faced with emergencies. Hydrogen Sulfide’s rotton egg smell  is readily detectable at low concentrations. but , high concentrations can deaden  ones smell by overloading their olfactory senses. When no odor can be perceived, there is no obvious warning to people unless they carry gas monitors to detect its presence.
Its Vapor Density is 1.9, making it slightly heavier than air. But it is typically mixed with other products, such as Methane, that is lighter than air.  When mixed with other gases, it can be released when depressurized.  It may rise with the other materials and stay suspended in air for some time, before settling to low spots… The Enform H2S Alive program notes that workers should be particularly careful around confined spaces where there is no ventilation and the gas can be trapped.
It is soluble in fluids such as produced water, surfactants, gels, inverts, waste materials, sumps and fluid in pits.  Merely by agitating it, depressurizing or heating these materials, H2S can rise and knockdown workers who are in the line of fire.
Hydrogen sulphide gas, at low concentrations, can be slightly irritating to mucous membranes. At higher levels, it can cause pulmonary edema, conjunctivitis of the eyes, and brain damage.
  • Skin contact from liquid forms of H2S can create frostbite, often called “blue skin” .
  • rapid unconsciousness , known as knockdown  can results  from inhalation of the gas. This often leads to falls that can seriously injure the worker.  One reason for educating workers is the observation that other workers in the area panic and run towards the victim to assist them. This often results in a stack of dead workers, making it more difficult to rescue the group.
In Alberta, the 2009 Occupational Health and Safety Act is the legislation to protect workers from chemical exposure.  As of 2009, the 8 hour OEL (Occupational Exposure Limit) is 10 ppm, the Short term exposure is none and the Ceiling is 15 ppm.  Many companies have set higher standards for their safety by aiming for no exposure.  Some employers set their gas monitors to lower limits, such as 5 ppm for the 8 hour day exposure and 10ppm for the ceiling, to have a Standard Operating procedure that is more conservative than the law.
The Occupational Health and Safety Codes have many related sections that apply to H2S.  For example, Part 2 of the Codes notes that employers have to conduct a hazard assessment of the workplace, eliminate or substitute the gas where they can, or control it by engineering, administrative and personal protective equipment strategies.  Engineering out the gas hazard might include lockouts, tagouts, inert, ventilate, blank and blind and other  barriers to H2S.   Administrative controls include implementing training, rules, standards, signage, work permits, use of gas monitors  and procedures that recognize and avoid the gas.  Personal protective equipment to be worn around H2S would be self contained or supplied air breathing apparatus,and wearing flame resistant coveralls  around this toxic and flammable gas.
Given that this gas has few warning properties, it is essential that any worker that could be exposed obtain proper training and the correct resources to protect themselves from this deadly gas.

Allstar Enviro Safety is offering the OSSA Fall Protection Safety program

Press release
For immediate release on February 2, 2016
Contact: Arliss T E Levine, CRSP, CHSC,BA, NEBOSH IOGC, COR Auditor
Company; Allstar Enviro Safety
Contact: 403-214-1558
239 – 4999 – 43 St SE, Calgary, Ab T2B 3N4
Contact email: info@safetyclasses.ca, allstar@safetymom.ca

Headline: Allstar Enviro Safety is offering the OSSA Fall Protection Safety program

Allstar Enviro Safety is excited to announce that their lead Safety Consultant, Arliss T.E. Levine, is running the Astec oriented OSSA Fall Protection course at her new facility, the Haysboro Community Association. An upcoming change to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Part 9 of the code, will mean a number of changes to Fall Protection. The community that goes to height is waiting with anticipation to observe the new requirements. OSSA , the Oil Sands Safety Association, will likely review these amendments and update changes to this course, in due time.
Fall Protection regulations fall under Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act with the specific code being Part 9. It had the greatest amount of amendments from the 2006 regulation when the change occurred again in 2009.. Penalties, fines and liability are only some of the consequences of a lack of certification among staff that must go over 3 Meters (approximately 10 feet). Some worksites, including the Oil Sands Safety Association group: Syncrude, Suncor Energy, CNRL and Shell Albian Sands, require this OSSA Fall Protection training at 6 feet (1.8 meters) to set a higher standard.
Arliss T.E. Levine, CRSP, CHSC, BA, NEBOSH IOGC and COR Auditor has a background in Fall Protection end user and other safety programs. This has provided her with a good understanding of the dangers of slips and trips at workplaces. By becoming an OSSA Fall Protection instructor, she can advise clients on elimination, engineering, administrative controls and appropriate personal protective equipment choices, such as harness selection.
Recently, Alberta Labour has appointed a number of Occupational Health and Safety Inspectors with the role of peace officers. One of the most frequent infractions is the lack of fall protection, wearing personal protective equipment and not following administrative controls. Achieving this Fall Protection certification is one step to proving that your staff are competent at working at height and avoiding potential fines of $100 – $500 per offence. Should continued infractions occur, the inspectors could visit the worksite, put in a Stop Work Order and submit a $10000 per day administrative penalty. There is a lot at stake for worker safety, when going to height. In 2010, the disabilities and fatalities from falling actually increased, which instigated the need to begin the ticketing process for violations.
OSSA Fall Protection is a one day, quickly paced, classroom – based program. It provides successful applicants who achieve a 80 % pass with the opportunity to go to height on Oilsands sites and other companies that which to achieve the OSSA standard for certification.
More information is available at:

OSSA Fall Protection

OSSA Fall Protection

Allstar Enviro Safety is offering the Ground Disturbance program, Level 1 and 2.

Press release
For immediate release on February 25 2016
Contact: Arliss T E Levine, CRSP, CHSC,BA, NEBOSH IOGC, COR Auditor
Company; Allstar Enviro Safety
Contact: 403-214-1558
239 – 4999 – 43 St SE, Calgary, Ab T2B 3N4
Contact email: info@safetyclasses.ca, allstar@safetymom.ca

Headline: Allstar Enviro Safety is offering the Ground Disturbance program, Level 1 and 2.
Allstar Enviro Safety is pleased to announce that their lead Safety Consultant, Arliss T.E. Levine, is celebrating her 7th year as a Ground Disturbance Instructor.is celebrating her 7th year as a 3rd party provider for Ground Disturbance courses.
Allstar has delivered the the Global Training Centre oriented Ground Disturbance as a classroom . Arliss has been delivering as a third party provider in the classroom based format to an enthusiastic crowd, such as line locators, project managers, heavy equipment operators and safety advisor’s. Recently, they are also offering these programs on their elearning format.
There are many reasons that this course has grown in popularity. Many of the construction companies require new workers who are applying for employment to have these programs as a pre requisite to application at the job. The Pipeline Act and Rules and part 32 of the Alberta Labor Code – Tunneling and Excavation requires certified training for supervisors.
Ground disturbance is one of the riskiest activities a construction company can perform. A single underground utility line accident has the catastrophic potential to cost millions of dollars in terms of property damage. In addition to the obvious potential for injury and death, other costs are loss of contracts, work opportunity losses, disruption of community services, ecological damage to air, soil and groundwater and the liability and insurance costs. Employers must conduct a hazard assessment and ensure that ground disturbances are controlled in a hierarchy, such as elimination of the hazard, engineering and administrative controls, as well as personal protective gear supplied.
There is about 27 million miles (43.2 million kilometres) of pipe, cable, and wire in the underground infrastructure in Canada and the United States. The term “underground facilities” refers to the buried pipelines and cables that transport: steam, water, sewer, fibre optics, cable tv and communications as well as the controversial petroleum, gasoline and natural gas. Due to the ongoing arguments about licensing pipelines throughout North America, it is essential that companies do their due diligence when conducting these activities involving underground facility digs.
Training is an important component of conducting ground disturbances, especially when mechanical digs could strike underground facilities. Excavations include,: Boring, Holes, Ditching ,Dredging ,Augering ,Tunneling,Driving, Survey Pins,Digging ,Installing ,Sign Poles and Scraping. Excavators need an education about legal requirements when hand exposure is required, as well as safe work conditions, good excavation practices, relevant municipal and Provincial laws, and One-call procedures Special procedures must be in place for concrete embedded facilities and those under permafrost.
There are many reasons why contact is made with facilities. Sometimes, One-call and line locators fail to identify the line or the non members of One Call are not contacted to ensure due diligence . Communication may be poor between the team and subcontractors and procedures may be improper or not in place at all. Project managers may fail to interpret the clearance requirements correctly Failure to properly secure the exposed underground facility Markings may be covered with snow or get knocked down and missed. Miscommunication can also take place when reading the Crossing Agreement.
Allstar Enviro Safety offers a variety of training formats:
Their Ground Disturbance 1 meets the 101 Standard for ABCGA and is a shorter awareness program. Workers who are certified with this training standard need to work with a supervisor certified in the Level 201 or Ground Disturbance 11 level. For this awareness course, it can be done in a Classroom format in a few hours and receive a 3 year certificate in a Wall plaque format. This is certified by Global Training Centre.
There is also an e learning tool that covers this Ground Disturbance 1 program, and is a convenient way to do the program without having to travel to a classroom.Course content of the online versions includes an embedded video, interactive learning exercises, competency quiz questions,coverage of all provincial legislation across Canada. This can be obtained through our elearning portals, which are listed below.

Ground Disturbance for Supervisors Online Course

Ground Disturbance


Ground Disturbance 2 is the 201 Standard which companies must obtain to meet the ABCGA common ground alliance standard for Supervisors.
Traditionally, this has been offered in a 6.5 hour plus course in a classroom. The Pipeline Act, Rules and part 32 AOHS plus Crossing agreements are added to this seminar. There is a 3 year certification from Global Training after successful completion.

Ground Disturbance II


Alternatively, Allstar is now offering the 201 Standard by elearning through Astec Safety, which was one of the first online formats accepted by the ABCGA committee. See the links below for this very convenient format. A webcamera and security measures are added to make this a certified program at the supervisory level.
Group training can be done at your facility. Please contact us to discuss classroom setup and site specific needs for your group.
Arliss T.E. Levine, CRSP, CHSC, BA, NEBOSH IOGC and COR Auditor has a background in industrial rescue training and teaches both Confined Space Basics, Rescue and OSSA Confined Space.
Confined Space Entrant Monitor is a six hour plus theory program with powerpoint and workbook. It certifies the candidate for 3 years by ABCS for both Monitoring and Entrant capabilities.
Our Organization: Allstar Enviro Safety has been providing classroom based and e learning training, consulting and safety program development to Alberta companies for several decades. Their lead Safety Consultant, Arliss T E Levine, CRSP, CHSC, BA, NEBOSH IOGC is also a COR Auditor. Allstar Enviro Safety is pleased to offer over 100 online programs that offer downloadable and printable certificates on safety and environmental topics

Headline:  Allstar Enviro Safety is now offering OSSA Confined Space Training

Headline:  Allstar Enviro Safety is now offering OSSA Confined Space Training

Allstar Enviro Safety is excited to announce that their lead Safety Consultant, Arliss T.E. Levine, has passed her audit to instruct the Confined Space Entrant and Monitor program. Arliss has been delivering this program for many years as a third party instructor. OSSA Confined Space Entry/Monitor is an Alberta BC Safety course (an OSSA Licensed Provider). The lead instructor — Arliss T.E.Levine, CRSP, CHSC, B.A. is with Allstar Enviro Safety training and is an accredited contract instructor through ABCS.
 
Description: Confined spaces are high hazard environments that frequently disable or kill workers entering them throughout North American workplaces. These spaces may have restricted entrances or exits or have atmospheric hazards that are not immediately apparent. Gas and chemical hazards that have acute or chronic effects are H2S, Oxygen deficiency and enrichment, Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia and Benzene. This could lead to flammable, explosive, corrosive or toxic environments. Confined spaces might have physical hazards such as rotating or reciprocating equipment, overhead hazards, slippery surfaces and electrocution or extreme weather conditions. Workers may become complacent if these conditions are not visible or difficult to detect with their own senses. There may be limited access or egress, making it difficult to perform an effective rescue. Part 5 of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act is covered in this theory program. Both Entrants and Monitor responsibilities are highlighted. This is a 6 hour plus  seminar.

Many of the Oilsands companies by Ft McMurray have  been requiring these training seminars prior to working in confined and restricted spaces. OSSA governs the safety certification for Syncrude, Suncor Energy, Albian Sands Shell and CNRL. Surrounding companies that contract to the OSSA sites normally request this program rather than the Confined Space Basics seminars. 
In addition, employers want to educate their staff that are potentially going to enter or work within these confined spaces, such as open and closed topped tanks, vessels, pits, bermed areas, and towers. The course helps define the difference between those spaces and restricted spaces such as , utility vaults and, crawl spaces. Since atmospheric and physical hazards can rapidly enter those spaces, employers are concerned about changes in conditions that could cause disability and death.  Rescue planning and hazard assessments are key functions that are covered in this 6 hour plus theory program. 

This classroom based program is followed by an exam that earns the OSSA designation. This is recognized by the Oilsands Safety Association which governs the content of the theory seminar.  Should the student need further physical skills, such as Supplied Air Breathing apparatus training or Fire OSSA Confined Space Entry/Monitor is an Alberta BC Safety course (an OSSA Licensed Provider). The lead instructor — Arliss T.E.Levine, CRSP, CHSC, B.A. is with Allstar Enviro Safety training and is an accredited contract instructor through ABCS.

 Confined spaces are high hazard environments that frequently disable or kill workers entering them throughout North American workplaces. These spaces may have restricted entrances or exits or have atmospheric hazards that are not immediately apparent. Gas and chemical hazards that have acute or chronic effects are H2S, Oxygen deficiency and enrichment, Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia and Benzene.This could lead to flammable, explosive, corrosive or toxic environments.
 Confined spaces might have physical hazards such as rotating or reciprocating equipment, overhead hazards, slippery surfaces and electrocution or extreme weather conditions. Workers may become complacent if these conditions are not visible or difficult to detect with their own senses. There may be limited access or egress, making it difficult to perform an effective rescue.
 Part 5 – Confined Space of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code  is covered in this theory program. Both Entrants and Monitor responsibilities are highlighted skills. 
Group training can be done at your facility. Please contact us to discuss classroom setup.
 
Arliss T.E. Levine, CRSP, CHSC, BA, NEBOSH IOGC and COR Auditor has a background in industrial rescue training and teaches both Confined Space Basics, Rescue and OSSA Confined Space. 
Confined Space Entrant Monitor is a six hour plus theory program with powerpoint and workbook.  It certifies the candidate for 3 years by ABCS for both Monitoring and Entrant capabilities. 
For further information, please follow the links to learn more about Confined Space OSSA at: https://safetymom.ca/ossa-confined-space/ and http://safetyclasses.ca/ossa-confined-space/

Allstar Enviro Safety has been providing classroom based and e learning training, consulting and safety program development to Alberta companies for several decades. Their lead Safety Consultant, Arliss T E Levine, CRSP, CHSC, BA, NEBOSH IOGC is also a COR Auditor.  Allstar Enviro Safety is pleased to offer over 100 online programs that offer downloadable and printable certificates on safety and environmental topics

557 -7620 Elbow Dr. SW., Calgary AB T2V 1K2

Allstar Enviro Safety  now has the Childcare First Aid program with CPR Level B and AED 

 

Allstar Enviro Safety is pleased to announce that their lead Safety Consultant, Arliss T.E. Levine, was accepted as an instructor in the Childcare First Aid certificate program. These programs are certified under the auspices of the Canadian Red Cross  and will assist clients in complying with Part 11 of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act and Code.

Day homes, nurseries and daycare providers  in Alberta are required under  the Alberta Regulation to have a ratio of certified workers per shift in first aid, with a specific emphasis on Childcare.  Courses are designed to educate people in charge of children  to have proper understanding of safety and know how to perform choking and cpr techniques when called upon in an emergency.  Wound management, child proofing, and disease prevention are covered in the two day program.

Injury affects more children in Alberta than all the diseases combined for adults. It is essential that we put our proper trust in those supervising young people and ensure that they are competent in an emergency.  These courses are  designed for those in the early childhood education industry as well as for parents/caregivers. They include the latest first aid and CPR guidelines

Arliss T.E. Levine, CRSP, CHSC, BA, NEBOSH IOGC and COR Auditor has an extensive first aid background and has training as a casualty simulator which she has practiced in some of the green cloud simulations put on by Emergency Medical Services.

Emergency Child Care is a one day classroom based program.

For a more advanced program, candidates can enroll in the 2 day Standard ChildCare First Aid.

Both include CPR Level B and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator)

 

https://safetymom.ca/first-aid/

Allstar Enviro Safety has been providing classroom based and e learning training, consulting and safety program development to Alberta companies for several decades. Their lead Safety Consultant, Arliss T E Levine, CRSP, CHSC, BA, NEBOSH IOGC is also a COR Auditor.  Allstar Enviro Safety is pleased to offer over 100 online programs that offer downloadable and printable certificates on safety and environmental topics.

A Respiratory Protection Program for H2S Gas

A respiratory protection program  for Hydrogen Sulphide gas should be added to safety codes of practice for companies whose employees could be exposed to this toxic gas.  This should comply with CSA and NIOSH standards for respirators.

In Alberta, H2S, commonly known as Sour Gas, can naturally occur in petroleum reservoirs.  As a result of many deaths in the past from lack of personal protective equipment, it was discovered that a filtered cartridge or half mask respirator was inadequate protection from this poisonous gas.

Since H2S is considered an IDLH gas (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health), the respiratory protection standard requires a positive pressure style mask.  For Self Contained breathing apparatus, there must be a minimum volume of 30 minutes of respirable breathing air.

Self Contained is the preferred style for workers who need independence of movement, want mobility to reach further areas or could conduct rescues.  The SCBAs have a cylinder, mask with a nose cup and positive pressure, harness and regulator. Positive benefits are mobility and no trip hazards when moving around. Negative aspects are that air time is limited, and they are bulky and heavy.

Supplied Air Breathing Apparatus (SABA) is the chosen system for longer term work and is lighter weight and less bulky. The advantage of this system is that workers entering confined spaces are able to access the space easier, have  longer term air supplies and can work as a team off an air cascade system. Disadvantages are that there is limited mobility, trip hazards, air that is not humidified and have to escape by disconnecting and using an egress cylinder.  This escape bottle is typically limited to 5 to 15 minutes and may not have an audible alarm to warn the worker that the air is running low.

A proper respiratory protection program should include the following key points:

1. Respirator selection and use .

2. Fit testing for tight-fitting respirators.This can be qualitative, quantitative or both.

3. Medical evaluation as some people have asthma or claustrophobia.

4. Various Procedures for a number of predictable  emergencies such as blow outs or rescues.

5. Preventative Maintenance procedures and a sanitary area for storage.

6. Supplied air respirators and operation of the cascade system.

7.  Routine and emergency situations procedures and training and drills.

8. Regular practice  care and maintenance of the respirator selected and donning and doffing.

9. Evaluating the effectiveness of the respiratory protection program and a schedule to reevaluate it .

10. Locations for SABAs and SCBAs at the worksite.

A respiratory protection program can help with the selection, fit, use, and maintenance of your breathing apparatus and will assist you in meeting the legislation and manufacturers specifications for H2S environments

10 Simple Tips for Better Driving

Across the world it seems that in-roads have been made in road fatality and the numbers of people dying behind the wheel has dropped to lowest ever levels in numerous countries. However, the number of crashes is still quite high, signifying that cars are becoming safer, although our driving may not be.

Even though technology allows us to be a lot safer behind the wheel, better driving techniques can really make a significant difference.

Drunk Driving

Driving drunk causes around a third of deaths on the road in the US. Alcohol as we all well know at this stage causes problems with timing and coordination – two of the most important things to have when driving. Even at low levels driving is impaired and statistics show you are six times as likely to crash when on the limit as when alcohol free.

Speed

Once again, this is another obvious one that we’ve been told again and again. Speed kills! It leaves you with less time to reach, costs more in fuel and causes deaths. Ever mile over the limit you drive increases the chances of an accident by 4 per cent according to statistics from the ERSO.

READ MORE

Common Construction Injuries

Common Construction Injuries

When working a construction job you know there are going to be accidents that occur.  Very few companies have ever had no injuries on their job sites.  With so many things going on at one time you can easily become mixed up and an array of bad injuries can result.

Injuries on constructions sites leave both parties, the construction workers and the construction company, in a bad position.  Many times the worker is unable to go to work for an extended period of time and therefore files a law suit against the construction company for causing the injury. READ MORE