January 7, 2009 by Walter Schneider.

Near Louviers, Douglas Counties, CO, USA

2002 12 18

A derelict tanker car that was being cut up for scrap metal still contained a large amount of sulfur [still about one-quarter full with an estimated 30 tons of sulphur] and the cutting torches ignited the material, according to Andy Lyon, public information officer with South Metro.

Fire fighter had been on site once before they started to fight the fire, but at that time they had seen no burning sulfur (flames of burning sulphur are invisible in sunlight) and had left again.

The fire proved to be difficult to put out. Whenever fire was put out, it reignited.

A small area (of unspecified size) around the fire was evacuated. Other than to say that a number of people experienced breathing difficulties, the article does not state how many people were affected.  However, the story also stated that no one was hospitalized….(Full Story - with photos)

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January 7, 2009 by Walter Schneider.

Haz Mat News: Hydrogen Sulfide is a new method of suicide
from FIRST RESPONDER TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
by Bob Blogger

Trics of the Trade: New Hazmat Threat Comes to the US Hydrogen Sulfide is a new method of suicide

TONY TRICARICO; Firehouse.Com Contributor

A popular means of suicide, is there such a thing? Well apparently there is now.

In the first six months of 2008, the press reports that in Japan more than 500 people have killed themselves using hydrogen sulfide created by mixing chemicals commonly available over the counter in supermarkets and drug stores. Japan’s government has long battled to contain the country’s alarmingly high suicide rate. A total of 32,155 people killed themselves in 2006, giving the country the ninth highest rate in the world….(Full Story)

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folc.ca: The article is a good summary of the dangers of hydrogen sulphide and of the tools and safety regulations required in a hydrogen-sulphide emergency.

Some statements in the article require comments.

1. In Japan, “A total of 32,155 people killed themselves in 2006, giving the country the ninth highest rate in the world.”Canada ranks in 44th place of 101 countries, while the suicide rates in the northern territories are right up there with Lithuania, Russia and rank even higher than those of Japan.  (See WHO suicide rates as of 2008)
2. The article states “A popular means of suicide, is there such a thing? Well apparently there is now,” and refers with that to the fact that in Japan there were in the first six moths of 2008 a total of 500 suicides by using hydrogen  sulphide. Given a total of about 30,000 suicides a year in Japan, that means that about 3 out of a 100 people use hydrogen sulphide to kill themselves.  That may be a new method, and it is being used more and more frequently in Japan, but that method is a long way from being as popular as more traditional suicide methods.The problem with the method is that it potentially puts far greater numbers of people at risk who are in the vicinity of  those who commit suicide by means of hydrogen sulphide.

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