The Health Bureau (SSM) has been notified by the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre of a hydrogen-sulphide poisoning incident, the victim of which is a 26-year-old female non-resident worker (NRW) of a restaurant on Rua Norte do Canal das Hortas.
An SSM statement said yesterday that the victim, who had been to the restaurant’s toilet for about 15 minutes, was found unconscious on the floor by her colleagues at 5:50 p.m. on Monday. The victim was then rushed to the public hospital, where she was diagnosed with gas poisoning. The statement pointed out that firefighters rushed to the restaurant’s toilet where they detected 4 parts per million (ppm) of hydrogen sulphide.
Yesterday’s statement noted that the patient, who was in critical condition, has been put on a ventilator.
The statement quoted the patient’s employer as saying that a foul odour emerged in the restaurant about half an hour before the incident, but no drainage work had been carried out there in the past two days.
The statement underlined that more than 20 ppm of hydrogen sulphide could irritate victims’ eye and respiratory system, causing dizziness, headache and drowsiness, or even coma, respiratory arrest and death, within a short period of time, if hydrogen sulphide is at very high concentrations of above 530 ppm.
Hydrogen sulphide has a strong, pungent and characteristic “rotten egg” taste and odour, but when the concentration exceeds 100 ppm, it may not be noticed due to smell fatigue, according to the statement.
No other employees at the restaurant came down with similar symptoms, the statement pointed out. The Health Bureau has notified the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) for follow-up measures.
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