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OSHA Proposes Costly Penalty for Plumbing Contractor that Exposed Worker to Hydrogen Sulfide and Fatal Fall

Industrial Hygiene Testing Services

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	3/5/2024
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	OSHA Proposes Costly Penalty for Plumbing Contractor that Exposed Worker to Hydrogen Sulfide and Fatal Fall
Introduction	EMSL Analytical provides air testing services, gas monitoring instruments and personal protective equipment to identify and mitigate exposure risks to hydrogen sulfide and other occupational hazards.
Cinnaminson, New Jersey, March 5, 2024 Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a plumbing contractor could have prevented an employee’s fatal fall at a Georgia work site by following required safety procedures. Investigators with DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) learned that the contractor’s employees were replacing a sewer line at a high school when they encountered a blockage in a pipe. To clear the blockage near the end of a 60-foot-long trench, one worker entered a manhole. A short time later, the worker fell about 20 feet, where they succumbed to injuries as a result of the fall and subsequent exposure to a high atmospheric concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas. “In this case, the local fire department used a gas monitor to test the air inside the manhole and discovered the presence of hydrogen sulfide at 1,910 parts per million (ppm),” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “OSHA’s permissible exposure limit for hydrogen sulfide is 20 ppm. The agency has proposed penalties of over $180,000 and cited the employer for willfully failing to develop and implement a permit-required confined space entry program, including testing and ventilating the space, before allowing employees to enter a manhole.” Businesses with workers in occupations where they could be exposed to hydrogen sulfide need to implement the appropriate safety procedures to identify hazards, provide effective monitoring and the appropriate personal protective equipment. EMSL Analytical is pleased to provide these resources to protect workers and to help keep companies in regulatory compliance. They offer hydrogen sulfide and other laboratory testing services, gas monitoring instruments, and carry a wide range of respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Several years ago, EMSL even sponsored an educational video about hydrogen sulfide and exposure risks that can still be seen at: https://youtu.be/oiVAOrvDKvQ To learn more about industrial hygiene and air quality testing services, monitoring instruments or PPE, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com. About EMSL Analytical, Inc. EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP <797>, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOCs, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.