Multi-person case of sulfur dioxide poisoning accident and emergency rescue

Sulfur dioxide is colorless and has a strong spicy pungent gas. It is produced by roasting pyrite ore in a roaster, and it can also be generated by the direct combustion of sulfur. Sulphur dioxide is pressurized at 90 °C to three atmospheres and can be liquefied into liquids for transport to users. Sulfur dioxide is used in the manufacture of sulfuric acid, organic synthesis, vulcanized rubber, petroleum refining, bleached pulp, etc., and is widely used. During the production and use process, the pipeline is broken or the valve is damaged, accidents occur during liquid filling and transportation, and a large number of sulfur dioxide leaks cause many people to become acutely poisoned.

Cases

1. ACCIDENTS

An organic chemical plant in Northeast China uses sulphur dioxide as raw material to produce sodium saccharin. A tanker August 10, 1991 14:00 to 15:50 from the plant Huludao Zinc weighing 40 tons liquid sulfur dioxide discharged into a tank factory dangerous goods warehouse. When the sulphur dioxide in the tank truck is about to be completely unloaded, a sudden rupture occurs at the joint between the hose and the iron pipe near the end of the tanker (the gap is 80mm × 15mm ) , causing a large amount of sulfur dioxide in the tank car and in the pipeline. Immediately after the occurrence of the leak accident, 2 people on site called the factory to report to the Production Department. After the deputy director in charge of production safety after hearing the news, immediately led the chief security officer and other carrying two oxygen breathing apparatus rushed to the scene of the accident. After the warehouse maintenance worker put on the oxygen breathing apparatus, he quickly cut off the air compressor power switch, closed the tank car outlet valve and the tank inlet valve, and controlled the diffusion of the gas mixture in the tank car and the compressor. The treatment was completed 15 minutes after the accident and about 150kg of sulfur dioxide was leaked . The area of ​​sulfur dioxide pollution is about 170m × 130m .

2. After the rescue

Residents on the leeward side and the city's pharmaceutical third factory separated by a wall suffered 154 sulphur dioxide inhalation. The Third Pharmaceutical Factory immediately called for help, and organized vehicles to transport the injured workers to several nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.

The Municipal Health Bureau organized relevant occupational disease experts to rescue the hospital for consultation and guide rescue treatment. After receiving the accident report, the Ministry of Chemical Industry organized three occupational disease experts in Beijing to rush to the city to help rescue the treatment.

Finally, after experts diagnosed occupational disease: severe acute sulfur dioxide poisoning people, moderate poisoning people, seven of mild poisoning, irritation 145 people. After salvage treatment, all were cured and discharged without any death. However, the economic losses in this accident were serious and caused extremely bad social impact. The organic chemical factory pays 330,000 yuan for the hospitalized medical expenses for poisoning patients ; it compensates the residents of the reservoir area with vegetables and poultry costs of 6,000 yuan; and compensates the pharmaceutical factory for the loss of 23,900 yuan for finished raw materials , requiring a total of 360,000 yuan.

3. Discussion

1 The cause of the accident. The leaders of the warehouses and operating personnel are not strong in the “safety first, prevention-oriented” ideological tree, and lax enforcement of safety management systems and lack of scientific attitude. In the absence of a request for approval from the factory's leadership and safety and equipment departments, it was decided that the connection of the liquid sulfur dioxide connecting pipe from the original iron pipe connection to the hose connection was arbitrarily decided. Without careful deliberation, the selected hose was unreasonable. After 11 times of connecting and unloading the liquid sulfur dioxide, the connected rubber hose will cause vibration and distortion of the connecting hose when the working pressure reaches 0.6 MPa . As a result, the connection between the hose and the iron pipe of the tank truck suddenly breaks, resulting in a large amount of leakage of sulfur dioxide. , resulting in more than one person of sulfur dioxide poisoning accident.

After learning lessons learned from accidents, the plant has purchased high-pressure, corrosion-resistant metal mesh braided hoses ( pressure-resistant 15 MPa , lining φ 51 × 29 wire mesh braided hoses, resistant to sulfur dioxide corrosion ) produced by professional manufacturers designated by the Ministry of Chemical Industry . And in the use of regular and comprehensive inspections, pressure test leaks, to ensure safe access.

2 The safety operation procedures and management system for detaching sulfur dioxide are not perfect. There is no specific requirement on how to place the oxygen breathing apparatus for operators. At the time of the accident, because the operator did not carry the oxygen breathing apparatus with him, the accident site was not equipped with an oxygen breathing apparatus, so that the tanker valve and the air compressor switch could not be immediately closed, delaying the processing time and causing more leakage of sulfur dioxide. The factory learned lessons from accidents and was responsible for drafting accidents by the factory's chief engineering office. It dispatched the professionals of relevant departments and conducted strict inspections, revisions, additions, and improvements to the entire plant's rules and regulations, especially the safety management system. Provisions for body protection equipment are required and workers are required to carry them.

3 The plant area and the dangerous goods store area are located in densely populated areas and pose a threat to residents in terms of safety and environmental protection in storing, transporting, and using hazardous materials. The main hazards of this accident were the residents and employees of the other pharmaceutical factories on the downwind side, and there were no poisoned patients in the factory. In order to completely remove this major hidden danger, the factory formulated a relocation plan and submitted it to the municipal bureau and municipal government for approval. A total of 300,000 yuan was invested to relocate dangerous goods warehouses away from residential areas.

4 In the initial stage of emergency rescue, there was no clear diagnosis criteria for poisoning and hospital discharge standards. As a result, the individual hospitalized patients with poisoning stayed in hospital for more than half a year and were never discharged from the hospital. As a result, they caused adverse consequences and a bad society. influences. In the case of multi-person poisoning accidents, those who have diagnostic criteria in the country must strictly implement the standards and have a clear diagnostic rating for each patient. The disease has been cured and it must be discharged in a timely manner. Patients who have been restored to health should not be kept in the hospital to avoid adverse consequences. If there is no national diagnostic criteria, the expert group will promptly draw up a rougher diagnostic criteria in order to facilitate the smooth progress of the diagnostic work.

The information in this article comes from the Internet and was reorganized and edited by China Rescue Equipment Network.