The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has released the results of its investigation into the deaths last fall of a worker and his wife who died after being overcome by hydrogen sulfide at a water flood station in Odessa,Texas.
The worker was employed by Aghorn Operating, Inc. and had responded the night of October 26, 2019 to an alarm that sounded when a component of a pump in the waterflood station failed, resulting in the release of water containing hydrogen sulfide.
The worker responded from his home but was overcome by the gas while he was in the pump house. Three hours later, his wife became concerned and drove to the waterflood station and was also overcome by the gas.
Within 30 minutes, first responders rescued the woman’s two children who were still in her vehicle. They found both the employee and his wife dead inside the pump house.
The CSB reported that an examination of the failed pump revealed that the component of the pump that most likely led to the release was a piece of equipment referred to as a “plunger.” The site was equipped with a hydrogen sulfide alarm system – following the incident testing of the system suggested the alarm system may not have been performing as expected.
The CSB’s investigation is still ongoing – currently the board plans to release its final report in 2020.
Source: CSB