Hydrogen sulphide gas exposure has resulted in a UK packaging manufacturer being fined following a tragic workplace incident that led to the death of an employee. The case highlights the severe dangers posed by toxic gases in industrial environments and reinforces the importance of thorough risk assessments and effective safety controls.

The Hydrogen Sulphide Gas Exposure at a cellulose film packaging factory in Wigton, Cumbria, and has raised wider health and safety awareness for employers across the manufacturing sector.

What Happened at the Cumbria Site

On 24 December 2021, an employee, Alexander Cole, was found collapsed in a pump room at the company’s premises after being exposed to Hydrogen Sulphide Gas Exposure. A delivery driver who attempted to help was also affected by the gas but later recovered after being rescued.

Despite emergency response efforts, Mr Cole sadly died in hospital the following day. A subsequent inquest concluded that hydrogen sulphide gas exposure had contributed to his death.

Investigation Findings about Hydrogen Sulphide Gas Exposure

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the company failed to properly assess and manage the risk of gas build-up within the site’s drainage and effluent systems.

Although some controls were in place within the production area, the investigation revealed that insufficient consideration was given to how hydrogen sulphide gas could enter and accumulate in the drainage system. This created a hidden but serious risk of gas being released into enclosed spaces, including the pump room where the incident occurred.

Understanding Hydrogen Sulphide Gas Exposure Risks

Hydrogen sulphide is a colourless gas with a distinctive smell similar to rotten eggs. It is highly toxic and can be extremely dangerous, even at relatively low concentrations.

Depending on the level and duration of exposure, symptoms may include:

• Dizziness and nausea
• Eye and respiratory irritation
• Loss of consciousness
• Severe poisoning and death

Because the gas can build up unnoticed in confined or poorly ventilated areas, hydrogen sulphide gas exposure represents a major workplace hazard if not properly identified and controlled.

Legal Duties and Safety Failures

UK health and safety law requires employers to identify all potential exposure routes for substances that are harmful to health and to reduce risks to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable.

In this case, the court found that the company failed to meet its legal duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act by not fully identifying and controlling all possible pathways through which workers could be exposed to the gas.

The company pleaded guilty and was fined £200,000, along with an additional £20,000 in costs.

Key Safety Lessons for Employers

This case provides important reminders for employers working with hazardous substances:

• Risk assessments must cover all areas, including drainage and waste systems
• Hidden or secondary exposure routes must be identified
• Confined spaces require specific controls and monitoring
• Gas detection, ventilation and alarm systems must be effective
• Emergency response procedures must be clear and practised
• Employees and contractors must be informed of potential risks
• Safety controls should be reviewed and updated regularly

Failing to identify a single critical risk can have devastating consequences.

Raising Awareness and Preventing Future Incidents

This tragic incident demonstrates how serious workplace hazards can be overlooked when risk assessments are incomplete or outdated. Employers must take a proactive approach to health and safety, particularly when dealing with substances that are hazardous to health.

Improving awareness, strengthening control measures and maintaining robust safety management systems can significantly reduce the risk of hydrogen sulphide gas exposure and help protect workers’ lives.

Health and Safety Education and Support

Employers and safety professionals can strengthen their understanding of chemical hazards, confined spaces and risk management through independent health and safety education platforms such as OSHAssociation.org, which focus on awareness, best practice sharing and supporting safer working environments.

FAQs

What is hydrogen sulphide gas?
It is a toxic, colourless gas with a strong rotten-egg smell that can cause serious illness or death.

Why was the company fined?
Because it failed to adequately assess and control the risk of gas build-up in its drainage system.

Where did the incident occur?
At a cellulose film packaging factory in Wigton, Cumbria.

What should employers learn from this case?
That all potential exposure routes must be identified, assessed and properly controlled.and controlled through robust risk assessments.