At 14:57 on May 24, 2021, a suspected harmful gas poisoning occurred at the Furong Bamboo Shoots Food Factory in Changning County, Yibin City, Sichuan Province during the maintenance of its facilities. According to doctors involved in the treatment, as of 10 am on the 25th, the death toll has risen to seven. Another person is in stable condition and is under treatment. The clinical manifestations of the dead consider hydrogen sulfide poisoning.
According to previous reports, at 14:57 on May 24, 2021, Changxian "110", "120", and "119" received the masses to report that a suspected harmful gas poisoning incident occurred in the Changning County Furong Bamboo Shoots Food Factory during the maintenance of its facilities. After on-site rescue, 7 people were unconscious and 1 was conscious. The patient was quickly sent to Changning County People's Hospital for treatment. Provincial, city and county leaders and departments of health, emergency, public security, fire protection, and industrial forces rushed to the scene to carry out emergency response. The city and county emergency response headquarters were set up to request the best efforts to treat patients.
The police have conducted a control investigation on the legal person of the Furong Bamboo Shoots Food Factory in Changning County in accordance with the law. The cause of the incident is under in-depth investigation, and the relevant handling is being carried out in an orderly manner.
The hazards of hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas with a special smell of rotten eggs. It is heavier than air and can diffuse from a lower place to a considerable distance. Hydrogen sulfide is a suffocating gas and a strong neurotoxicity, which can cause hypoxia in cells when it enters the human body. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide that is immediately life-threatening or health-threatening is: 1400 mg/m3 (1000 ppm).
How is hydrogen sulfide produced?
Knowing the source of hydrogen sulfide can better prevent accidents. There are many sources of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide often occurs in oil and gas well drilling sites, natural gas processing plants, petroleum refineries, sulfur recovery plants, fine chemical companies, and mines. In addition, hydrogen sulfide also occurs in pulp mills, sewers, and industrial laboratories.
In the food industry, especially the pickled products industry, due to the corruption of vegetables will produce a large amount of hydrogen sulfide, it needs to be handled with care.
Accidents similar to those in Changning, Sichuan have occurred many times, and enterprises need to be vigilant in production:
Nine workers at Shanghai food factory have been suspected of being poisoned by hydrogen sulfide, 5 dead
On August 21, 2013, an accident occurred in Shanghai Sanshang Foods Co., Ltd. in Chongming County. Nine employees of the company fell while working in the pickle pickling area. At present, five people have died. According to the investigation of the cause of the accident issued by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Work Safety, preliminary investigation revealed that the accident was caused by hydrogen sulfide poisoning when the employees of the food company cleaned the pickle pool.
Su Chenxi, a Master of Food Science from Shanghai Ocean University, explained that in the process of pickling pickles, a lot of hydrogen sulfide that smells like rotten eggs is produced. Workers in pickled products factories should wear protective equipment such as respirators when they come into direct contact with pickled vegetables.
Five people died of poisoning in Qinzhou, Guangxi. Doctors confirmed that they were caused by hydrogen sulfide poisoning and drowning
On November 29, 2017, a toxic gas poisoning accident occurred in Qinzhou Guangtai Food Factory, which killed 5 people. Fire officers and soldiers involved in the accident rescue told the media that when they entered the scene, they found that there were 5 adult people trapped in an underground pepper pickling pool in the pickling workshop of the factory. Among them, 3 women and 2 men were unconscious, while pickles were unconscious. The pool is more than two meters deep, but there is not much pickling liquid.
According to the doctor's confirmation, 4 of them had died on the spot. One person died after the rescue failed. All five people died from hydrogen sulfide poisoning and drowning.
The media reporter learned from the staff of the Food and Drug Administration that the cause of the accident was mainly caused by workers inhaling toxic gases, not because of any hazardous substances in the food itself.
Workers in a Liangguo processing plant in Shantou were poisoned by hydrogen sulfide, 1 dead and 3 injured
On November 6, 2005, a worker poisoning occurred in a Liangguo processing plant in Dongshan Village, Longdu Town, Chenghai District, Shantou City. Four workers were suspected of inhaling toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide when cleaning the pickling pool for preserved fruit, resulting in 1 death and 3 injuries.
Workers in a Liangguo processing plant in Shantou were poisoned by hydrogen sulfide, 1 dead and 3 injured
At about 17:30 on September 28, 2011, a worker at the Xindu Haoxin Sauce and Pickled Food Factory in Longqiao Town, Xindu District, Chengdu, was involved in a poisoning and suffocation accident while cleaning the salted pond, resulting in three deaths.
Three people died in suffocation accident at Chengdu Pickled Food Factory
At about 17:30 on September 28, 2011, a worker at the Xindu Haoxin Sauce and Pickled Food Factory in Longqiao Town, Xindu District, Chengdu, was involved in a poisoning and suffocation accident while cleaning the salted pond, resulting in three deaths.
Hydrogen sulfide poisoning safety accident in Yinchuan Pickle Factory, 3 people died
On July 25, 2015, a major hydrogen sulfide poisoning accident occurred in Yinchuan Song Qinghui Pickles Co., Ltd. 3 people were killed by inhaling hydrogen sulfide gas in the pickle pool, and 3 others were injured, directly losing more than 5 million yuan.
Because the concentration of hydrogen sulfide is greater than that of air, it will automatically sink to low-lying places when the air is not flowing. Therefore, the concentration is low when a person is standing, but as long as the concentration rises suddenly when squatting down, it will immediately cause poisoning. In the case of acute hydrogen sulfide poisoning, the characteristics are similar to those of electric shock, and it is difficult to have the opportunity to call for help or remind a companion.
During the pickling process, sauerkraut will produce toxic and harmful gases such as biogas. If someone is fainted by poisoning, do not blindly go to the pool to save people. You should dial 120, 119, etc. to call the police for help as soon as possible, protect the scene, and continuously send them to the pool. At the same time, use bamboo poles or hooks to hold up the head of the unconscious person so that the face is up for breathing. After the poisoned person is rescued, the patient can be given oxygen immediately and the cardiopulmonary brain resuscitation shall be performed immediately.
Source: Mobile Public Account
