Risks of Repeated Sewer Gas Exposure?

http://www.safetydirectory.com/hazardous_substances/hydrogen_sulfide/fact_sheet.htmlook at the chart, you decide

Send e-mails to the county health department, city environmental services, city government/council/mayor, the manufacturer of the cars you sell, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the local newspaper/s telling them of your problems.

How do customers react to the smell?

Why has this gone on so long?

Publish the name of the dealership and city here, or PM it to me and and I can assure you that the problem will be resolved.

Add: the names of the contractor and plumbers that have 'fixed' the problem. -- JHF

Good point.

This gives a whole new meaning to "remodel".

And $hity job.

Nitrogen Oxides and Hydrogen Sulfides are the one's you smell. It's not only chemical mist that you smell, their could be airborne microbial contaminants as well.

Your Environment, Health and Safety Officer or consultant is in charge of this prior to your complaints at governmental agency responsible for this.

Complaints shall be made first documented within your company's premise and the general manager should be notified by this issue. The management is the one responsible with in your company's premise and they should not take this one lightly. Included in their responsibility is the health and welfare of its employees at their premise.

If the management force you to work without addressing the concerns, then get the government to interfere, you have rights protected by your government.

Keep in mind that this is not an issue that can't be solve by engineering measures. There is a solution prior to getting all of you, including your company lose in phase by some penalty or closure notice.

I doubt that your employer wishes this situation on anybody, but they probably have no idea of what to do, any more than you do. Nor do we. For instance, there may be a blocked sewer pipe on your premises, in which case you (i.e., your employer) needs to get it fixed. Yesterday. However, there may be something like a municipal pumping station that is malfunctioning. In that case, you and others need to be raising holy fucking hell to the guilty parties. None of us on CR4 know the piping and topography of your situation, for which you have furnished no useful information.

Please read the fact sheeted next. It is from the US Occupational Health and safety Administration (OSHA).

https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/hydrogen_sulfide_fact.pdf

Very short and concisely, Hydrogen Sulfide is nastily BAD, it is a killer! It is a respiratory hazard, heavier than air so it gathers in low areas, is colorless at fatal concentrations (IDLH, Immediately Dangerous To Life and Health level), and numerous other hazards as described in the cited article.

The most dangerous thing about H₂S is that it's primary route of exposure is respiratory and the gas is readily absorbed through the lungs. Compound this with that it causes "olfactory fatigue", the more you smell of it the less you are able to detect it by smell, olfactory fatigue = less sensitive to smell.

Numerous people have died from exposure to it in sewers, underground vaults with liquids leaking into them, chemical plants, waste water treatment plants and even a few car dealerships from being in lube pits.

Depending upon your relationship with your employer you should: good relationship- take the cited information and politely discuss it with the health control manager of the dealership. Emphasize that you are there to help them to get rid of their health hazard. Don't pi$$ them off or you might have other problems. Bad relationship: Call the local, county, state and government Health Departments and make an anonymous complaint to them. Tell them to refer to an appropriate health data sheet. If there is a local college or university, discuss the problem with an appropriate professor. Get him/her on your side and have them pester the dealership without revealing your name of position.

The longer you wait, the longer you are exposed to H₂S. As your exposures increase the more risk of dying from it you have. This is not a accumulative hazard, not an immediate killer but a short time killer. How well is your life insurance paid up? If you don't do anything the more likely the wife and kids will need it.

I am retired from the chemical industry and have seen the effects of hydrogen sulfide on personnel exposed to it by not using the proper personal protection equipment, (PPE).

Good Luck, Old Salt

After the first day at a city waste water treatment plant working on the design of a new dredge, I was so sick that night with diarrhea I thought I'd never get over it. I suppose it was hydrogen sulfide poisoning.

My gut feeling is, owner of the dealership is very aware of the what the problem is and what's causing and I'd bet the guy in plumbing truck has told them more than one time what the problem is. And chances are, the main sewer line runs directly under the showroom floor! And as long as no one files a legal complainant, they sure as hell not going to rip up their remodeled showroom floor! Unless they absolutely have too. Major $$$'s in repair costs and lost revenue

Its a shitty position to be in

till your problem solved use gas mask which can work for 8 hrs.take a sample of air from your office give it to laboratory to check for pollution.if it is H2S present more than 10 ppm then 40 hours per week exposure will give advers effect on human body

A scented candle will do the trick if there is any methane in the air you will know by the change in the candle flame It will get bigger Is your sewage line going to a septic tank that reqires pumping out then the emptying may expose your line by draining the trap. Sewage gas is not healthy . you might try this guy he is a total expert on these matters Google him

Ian Robert Wickham Fontanini

Independent Business Owner at Globalian: Australian Italian National

So your "fix" is to supply an open source of ignition to an explosive gas (methane)!!

There are monitors out there that will tell you the concentration - without the danger of blowing yourself up.

If I could rate you off-topic twice, I would!

Its all about the 'BOOM'! Myth Busters -- JHF

I nominate you for the Darwin's Awards

LOL!!

and accurate......!!

Go modern, use a canary! Good Luck, Old Salt

You need to get management to pay for a proper analysis with underground video from a professional company.

Maybe one that can also wash away with high pressure water systems, any possible blockage.

What also needs to be done is to measure the "drop" of any underground pipes to make sure that all debris is swept away at each flush.......I have seen too many badly installed pipes that did not follow code in some manner and the result was regular blockages, sounding just like your problem.....it could even be builders rubble for example.....

A neighbour of mine has just such a problem, the outside soil pipe does not "fall" enough and really needs a pump to accelerate the crap, but he does not want to pay for it!!! His problem.....

He has to clear it every time it happens, not me!!!

Years ago, when my house soil pipe system was updated (solids were collected in an underground tank and emptied each year, then a new system was installed in the town where that was not needed anymore).

After that, I had problems with toilet paper. I then found out exactly where the pipe ran and found that a lightning rod had been driven through it. Re-laying of lightning rod and soil pipe fixed that for good!!!

The previous house owner was the only one who knew where the soil pipe was (he laid it!) and had allowed the rod to be driven through it!! Idiot!!!

If this was losing car sales it would have already been fixed.

Publish the name/location of the dealership here.

Otherwise, you're just blowing sewer gas.

30 years ago I worked in an office that had many smokers. By lunch time there was haze from one end of the office to the other. There was no fresh air make-up. I had repeatedly advocated for clean air and always got the proverbial shrug of the shoulders. At the prompting of my brother I placed a call to the local gov H&S, gave my name etc, explained the problem and made the point I was simply asking what the requirements for fresh air make-up where. I stated I did not want to officially rock the boat yet, but get the facts for pressing the point o my employer.

The inspectors showed up just after lunch that day, took a bunch of readings for temp, particulates, humidity, etc, and gave the company 28 days to provide fresh air, increase the humidity (winter in Ontario can be very dry), and limit the smoking to designated areas. They where gracious enough to state the inspection had not been requested and the anonymous employee (everyone guessed it was me) asked for what the standards were and did not want to cause problems, but their finding was that there was a clear violation of H&S.

It took almost 6 weeks before the new HVC system was installed, smoking was initially greatly restricted, and about 1 year later smoking was banned from all locations on the property. (Eating food out on the plant floor was also banned!)

This smoking ban was impressive at the time, the company was one of the first to ban smoking. I remember one particularly obnoxious smoker who would blow smoke in your face - he quit and became just as obnoxious anti-smoking

Anecdotal point I am making is that by approaching the authorities you can make things happen - smoke, sewer gas, it does not matter.

Jason welcome to CR4. I was not sure if the only problem was odours but if spillage is constantly occurring and spilling raw sewage onto the floor, the problem may be one of capacity of a sewer lift station/sewers to handle sewage. it could also be a problem of combined sewers unable to contend with excessive rain or runoff. The result would be to overflow the lower level toilets. And of course any odours can be any complex of sewage discharges. That is something that the municipal engineering department should be aware. They should also have some plans to rectify the situation.

If the dealership is located on a street with many food courts or processors there may even be a blockage of a sewer line with fatty material. Another poster has suggested a camera to look and I agree. We had a similar problem in a building where I was once located. It was the restaurant nearby that caused all the blockage with dumping of fatty waste material. Call the municipal engineers. A health issue does exist and needs serious correction and soon.

Jason,

Find someone that has a meter that measures Hydrogen Sulfide - Methane - Oxygen - Carbon Dioxide, these are the 4 main gasses that are present in sewage and are life threatening.

Run for your friggin life man. This situation is dangerous DEADLY to you and your customers and I see a huge class action lawsuit brought by all the employees that have repeatedly exposed to harmful toxins.

I worked in waste-water treatment for almost 10 years and I firmly believe that even with the engineered controls in place to evacuate the gasses present in sewage and waste water I suffer from H2S exposure.

I have bouts of vertigo, cannot smell much, and I am just getting over the migraines that were always there. I left that field about 4 years ago and still have issues.

If the issue started after the construction and remodel, I have a good feeling that some debris was either intentionally placed in the sewer piping or it got in the pipe just from the workers not taking care to plug off any open piping.

This happens all too often and the contractor should be called back to fix their problems.

I'm not going to bore you with all the technical stuff about the dangers of sewer gasses as the earlier posts covered that topic.

They will need to chase down the sewer lines and run a camera through every one of the mains.

The meter pictured below is economical $99.00. I'm not recommending this particular meter. It was just a good reference picture and only tests for H2S

You've left yourself open for some seriously bad jokes about car dealers and salespersons. I will resist that temptation.

Sewer gas may contain some very nasty gasses - H2S, NH3 amongst them.

While the symptoms you describe maybe only psychosomatic, as this smell certainly would evoke serious concerns leading to such symptoms, they could be real.

How can you sell cars there with that in the air?

Does the plumbing truck that turns up every month empty a tank/cesspit? If so, getting it there a few days earlier might solve the problem. Sounds like your boss is trying to cut costs to the bone but it would not increase total volume per year.

Be good to fit a level indicator in the tank, so you know it's full before the stuff starts flowing out over the floor, and get on the phone to the truck company.

I can tell you one thing: If I as a customer walk into any establishment that smells like a sewer, I leave immediately, no chance of doing business there, since it tells me all I need to know about the management of such a place.

Anonymous tip to the Health Department, or the local TV channel news department should be enough "exposure to light" to develop the situation. Why stay employed there at all?

Thank you all sincerely for your time & comments. I will be reaching out for the Health Department today hopefully. Currently there are two of 10 salesmen from this showroom out sick. Will be sure to let y'all know the results. Thank you again, everyone!

You are doing the honorable thing.

I hope your experience is as positive as mine was in a similar situation.

Needed to ask one more extremely important question...

For anyone that has dealt with or seen the effects of exposure, is near-instant death a realistic possibility? And by that I mean is it possible to simply collapse to the ground dead within 24 hours of exposure to a high concentration level? On Thanksgiving of 2013, we had an employee, a friend of mine that was 43 years old, drop dead while playing with his family in the yard. My friend had been in good health and never had any major health or heart issues prior. Just wanted to know if anyone thinks this could be related?

What did the coroner say?

We are not physicians and able to answer your question reliably.

My opinion? - 24 hours later is probably not the result of exposure to the gas - but probably a coronary incident.

Coroner said cause of death was unknown factor resulting in heart failure. Just trying to figure out if it is POSSIBLE that it could be related to the ongoing problem here.

Some toxins like sulfides and cyanide (low low dose), or carbon monoxide will remain in the blood system for a longer time than you think. These all reduce the actual oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.

The answer would be complicated. Exposure could weaken an individual's respiratory system (if this was hydrogen sulfide for example), or introduce an unfavorable bacterium with similar effect - weakening of the individual. If there were already other health issues, such as badly clogged arteries, the extra demand on the heart to improve blood flow, and get more oxygen into the system, might have been sufficient to induce a heart attack, but you should consult with a medical examiner on that one.

Jason,

An H2S poisoning death is an acute situation. A high dose will cause unconsciousness and if the person or gas is not removed from the area, they will probably die. H2S does not build up in the system and then out of the blue cause sudden death. The longer term effects are different in symptomology. Continued and repeated exposure causes headaches, loss of smell, loss of memory, upset stomach, and a lot of other different symptoms.

A co-worker was exposed to H2S from a restaurant grease trap and the meter he was wearing recorded the H2S level at over 1000 PPM because the meter only measured up to 1000 PPM. The meter was returned to the manufacturer for inspection and they returned the meter as damaged beyond repair. I think part of that was that when he was exposed, he was overcome by H2S and he collapsed on top of the meter. I think part of the damage came from the fall. His partner grabbed him by his arms and dragged him about 30 feet away from the grease trap. That saved his life! This is what we wear if there is a risk of the atmosphere being toxic.

Good luck!

In most civilised countries an autopsy would need to be made to determine the reasons for his death.

In the UK and here in Germany, that would have been required.

You don't tell us where you live, so I assume you are in a backward 3rd World country if that was not seen as a requirement.

Where are you exactly?

-----------------------------------

I read further on and it was coronary I believe you said.....then how could we know better?????

I am pretty sure that backward 3rd world country is the United States of America. I expect for any sudden death, there will have been an autopsy, but the records here in the states are closed due to HIPPA law.

Not for the family doctor and/or the next of kin surely????

In the UK it would even be published in the local paper....My Father committed suicide, was autopsied and everything (correctly so in all counts) was reported.

Local interest as well of course....

Bit snippy that!

"we had an employee, a friend of mine that was 43 years old"

Maybe the laws are different in Germany, and you can Google medical records of strangers?

I cannot imagine that a next of kin would not have a right to be told??? That is simply inhuman!!

Andy,

Pay attention.

The OP and the deceased were FRIENDS.

Not next of kin.

AH!

Thanks.

In the UK he would have got given the infos from the family at least.

The family may have shared some information with him, who knows.

Anyway, not much to work with.

If the problem is sewage backing up because of a lack of capacity of sewers or a sewage lift station, any type of gas is possible. People throw all sorts of things they should not down a drain. The common sewer gases of H2S or CH4 can have instant affects but generally not delayed affects. I have know a young fellow die because of gasoline from service stations spilling into lift stations. I am not sure of the time line but he died very quick in unventilated space. Your friend was outdoors and ventilation should be good. Hopefully all the traps work. But check to make sure the toilets or sink traps are not bubbling just prior to the spillage of raw sewage.

A lot of people in my area die in their 40s because they think they can play hockey like they could in their 20s. And it is usually a heart attack. I was such a victim doing exactly that but survived at the age of 53. The same thing happens every snow fall and people have to go out in the cold to do strenuous work but have not warmed up before they undertake the task. Ageing sucks but the alternative is worse. A coroner should have determined a cause. What was the "high level" and gas suspected?

Kevin, in response to what you mentioned regarding sinks and toilets bubbling prior to the sewage spilling... the men's and women's toilets are on a common wall of adjacents bathrooms. I have never witnessed the sinks doing anything but every single one of the seven toilets bubble like they are at a low boil before the sewage spills out on the floor. Its the 72 hour period before that the gas vapors become noxious. Are the bubbling toilets indicative of a particular type problem or of gas?

I am in for a serious battle if my employer catches wind I am looking into this. I plan to call the Health Dept as soon as a smell is noticeable again to have them come test the air quality during one of these sewer episodes. All the staff in this building has been getting sick with respiratory illnesses for years now. I personally have had walking pneumonia, numerous counts of bronchitis & laryngitis, and three kidney infections over the past 3 years. Normaly, I would only catch a slight cold once over the course of a year. During the most recent occurence myself and others experience server eye irritation, shortness of breath, headaches, motor skill impairment, and even slight speech impairment. There are three employees that now keep inhalers in their desks due to breathing issues and two others that report they have developed wheezing that has persisted for months now. I know no one here is really the best resource for legal advice but I am attempting to educate myself any way possible as to the reality of the situation and what recourse myself and my coworkers might have before I open up a huge can of worms that will most assuredly result in my loss of employment.

Your jobs or your lives?

Decisions, decisions.

Jason, I'm not trying to be a jerk but!

Would you rather lose your job, or your life.

Are you married, have kids? I'm sure they want to see you alive and well rather than slabbed out in the morgue!

Call the health dept. immediately, if they don't do anything and someone gets hurt or killed, it's on them also. They will interview everyone and probably set up meters in random areas. These government agencies do not jump unless there is a credible threat to human life. So it may take a few days or weeks for them to respond to an "ODOR" complaint without credible information or complaints from several different "CALLERS". You need to stress that you are extremely physically ill every time the sewers back up.

Good luck.

Here is a limit table:

Jason, I've been following this thread since you started it. You stated the remodel was about 18 months ago, so you can only relate problems arising after that period. In my past experiences in commercial building HVAC/plumbing, I have seen problems similar to what your describing and being it's as you describe, once a month occurrence, leads me to a couple things.

1) if the remodel included lying new ABS sewer pipe, the plumber may not have de-burred the pipe clean

2) (No offence to the women here) some women thinks it's ok to flush sanitary napkins and tampons down the toilet.

Anything less than a smooth transition between connecting pipes will snag things thus causing problems, once a month. And not so much as a lift station, every business on that trunk would be complaining and raising more crap with the city.

Agreed, he hasn't told us yet what the system is, cesspit or sewer, though I (and others) have prompted him for more details a couple of times.

As you said before, the problem only happens about once per month, then the plumbing truck shows up. Is this the way things are meant to work - fill a tank/cesspit and periodically empty it? If so, and there's no problem between tank emptyings, why not just ensure the truck comes in good time, before overflow occurs?

If the toilets discharge to a public sewer it sounds like some sort of blockage, but the occurrence is remarkably regular! In that case the cause needs to be identified and fixed. Could the blockages be caused by "feminine hygiene products" (says he coyly)? It's well known that the periods of women in close proximity tend to synchronise, and the one-month cycle is suggestive.

BTW every sympathy for the health problems you and colleagues are having.

The bubbles are of concern. The bubbles could be methane, hydrogen sulphide, or even carbon dioxide. The bubbles could not only allow harmful gases (even solvents) but could create aerosols that could allow bacteria to become air borne in the building. The bubbles are the indicator of a stressed sewer system for whatever reason. Flow should be continuous and never bubble up in the building. the traps are not working when this happens. Does it happen after heavy rains?

You have not stated if the sewage system is a holding tank, municipal sewers, or even a septic system. If it is a municipal system, then contact the municipal engineers. Your boss should be more than cooperative and perhaps a direct approach should be made by yourself and/or others. If it is a faulty septic tank system, then a new one may be required. If it is a holding tank, alarm it and arrange to pump it sooner. I do encourage discussion with the boss and relay the concerns. The owners should also want to protect their own investment and may be very receptive. Why do you think they would be so crass as to terminate employment? As a building owner, I would reward such diligence.

I still don't get how they are not running customers, or potential customers out the front door! If that is the case, then the job "problem" will solve itself sooner or later., But is the the later part the employee should be concerned with - health or a failing job? Choose health, there are other J.O.B.S. It is a new year. Make a decision once and for all, and stick with it.

We really do not have enough info to make a judgement. Why in the world would a business object to the point of firing employees for being concerned about their workplace? It makes no sense to me. I suspect a municipal system gone awry and if that is the case you may want to leave town. The business should threaten the town with a law suite. Individuals getting sick may already have a case. Anyway, more info is needed and all else is speculation until we know facts.

I once quit a job because of the instructions given to me to fire someone who was a very good excellent and knowledgeable employee. You can fire someone stating what the supposed reason is but in reality you can fire anyone for whatever reason you wants to. Supposed reason for her, a welder, to be fired was that her '"work wasn't up to company standards". Without doubt she could weld the heads of two pins together if she was told to and her coworkers supported her on her skills. About an hour before the "firing time" by the personnel dept. I learned what the real reason was. After the Viet war, which she served in, she was treated for what is now known as PTSD. That was 20 years prior to working with us! The owner felt that was a personal weakness and she should be fired.

I escorted her to Personnel and told her to be my witness. I quit and told her why, which made the personnel mgr. squirm and almost wet her panties. The employee then quit and left because of the true reason. She then filed a law suit which she eventually won.

The company's EEO stats were devastated. They lost one point for female, one point for vet. and another for disabled vet. She was one of a very few there with those "credits" on her application. Watch out what you really fire someone for and also find out the real reason for it if you are fired!

Good Luck, Old Salt

Kudos to you. The correct action always is the best action.

I once worked at a National Laboratory where the Human Resources Catberts were similarly corrupt. I left.

If Cool Hand Luke eats 50 eggs and uses your toilet, the H₂S will wipe everybody out.

Been trying to collect answers to some of the questions in posted replies...

At this point I am dismayed.

Sewer system for the building MUST be municipal. Never have I seen a septic service truck here to empty any tanks. The total property parcel is 55 acres of land and 5 showroom buildings for different manufacturer's. The showrooms are situated alongside the local stretch of a US highway and is inside city limits as opposed to county.

Found out within the last 5 hours that another showroom that is ACROSS the 4-lane divided highway is experiencing the same issue with noxious vapor and odors and sewage spilling from the drain in the bathroom floor.

The problem in my building literally erupted on Saturday, again on Monday, and today we have not seen anything but the smell is so bad all the building doors are propped open. I left sick Saturday morning before the occurence after vomitting at work. Was out Monday. Returned today and am still ill.

Contacted my County Health Department today and was transferred to the Environmental Health Dept. where, after explaining the situation, the representative explained they do NOT have any equipment at all to measure air quality. He did mention something regarding a drainfield possibly being backed up, but was no help to actually get it fixed.

WTF??? Does that alarm anyone else? The environmental health department doesn't have tools to test the environment???

I was referred to another county health department to the north (one hour by car) where he said one man did indeed have the necessary tools. Called them and was transferred to his voicemail where I left a detailed message and my direct cell number. Five hours later and no word back. I told every last person I spoke to that the problem was ongoing... it was occurring right now... and that people are getting sick. No one seems to care even in the slightest.

I know this isn't a counseling forum but can anyone give me some advice on what I should do?? This is insane.

A drainfield means that you have a septic system I think you may need to get the owners to drain or pump out the septic

As backup seems to also occur across the road, it sounds more and more like a problem with the municipal sewer/lift station. If the local health authorities cannot investigate or refer you to a proper authority to do so, yeah WTF. But then that has always been my experience with many health authorities and I have been in the business for 42 years. Try to contact the municipal engineering department. they would know if the problem is with their system or if the car dealership is on a drainage system (septic system). If the city does not have an engineering department or equivalent, call your political representative or mayor. Write the mayor a letter and force a response.

Where are you????

Call the TV stations and newspapers.

You can just pretend to be a customer or tell them you don't want to lose your job by identifying yourself.

Public opinion will do more than the useless government agencies you've contacted.

Their bathroom doesn't stink.

What does the owner of the dealership have to say about all this? I would think they'd would be extremely worried about any kind of stench lingering in their showrooms. If I was a potential customer and walked into a dealership that stunk that bad, I would leave knowing any kinda deal I got would stink to high heaven!

The city planning dept. could tell you if the dealership is on septic or on the city municipal sewer system. You should also contact OSHA and put your County Health Dept. on notice that you have filed a complaint with OSHA, noting the Health Dept. lack of concern. That might light a fire under them

Contact the local fire dept and ask them if they have a meter that will detect Hydrogen Sulphide, H₂S. If they do politely ask them if they could come out and "test the meter" at your location. Tell them what the problem is, that no one within an hour ride has an appropriate meter and could they help numerous people at your site.

Most fire depts. use either a "4-gas meter" or a "5-gas meter" to read and indicate the levels of: "LEL", lower explosive level; "O₂", Oxygen; "CO", Carbon Monoxide; and "H₂S", Hydrogen Sulfide, "Sewer Gas" simultaneously. With a 5- gas meter another gas can be detected at the choice of the customer/manufacturer.

Have the fire dept check out your situation. H₂S is a combustible gas at high enough levels so that might be a useful tie-in to get them out there and to help.

My fire dept willing does it as part of our fire prevention efforts. Try yours!

Good Luck, Old Salt

Consult a lawyer. There is a possible class action suit in this matter. Whether the defendant would be the dealer, some plumbing contractor, the city, or the county may not yet be known, but investigation could start.

dial: 1-800-ErinBrokovich.

Excellent progress and results Jason.

I know it's scary to speak up when you are the sole provider and are fearful of losing your income.

Please take care of yourself and your family. Remember...... If you're dead, they have lost the most precious thing in their life...... Her husband and their father.

Bryan

Thanks Jason for keeping us up to date! I dislike most government agencies, but OSHA has a purpose. Not many will stand up for the working people. Good luck with this situation, my prayers are with you

I still think this case is a good one to be tried in the court of public opinion.

Call a TV station or newspaper.

Keep us informed, please, in any case.

Jason-

Excellent work. Be persistent "The squeaky gear is the one that gets oiled". I surmise that "Skip" doesn't want to get involved probably from "chain of command politics". He is grossly incorrect about no one having the equipment to test air quality. You do not need a complete "spectrum analysis" of the air for many components. Just a meter for H₂S. In Florida there are thousands of these. That type of meter is essential for checking air for most probable gases, especially if any fire company does confined space rescue especially in sewer lines. Consider contacting the Fire Chief and ask him for his help and assistance from the fire dept. Can't hurt, the worst he can do is say no, the same as you have now! Check with the local sewer authority or telephone company to see if they have one to help you out. In my small volunteer fire company we have them on five of our six vehicles.

Unfortunately calling OSHA could take a lot of time till they get out to conduct an inspection. They are overworked and understaffed so usually the only ones they respond to quickly are serious injuries, amputations, deaths and the like. You will get quicker results if you go to OSHA with a measured concentration of the Hydrogen Sulfide with your complaint. They will help but except for periodic inspections they are not as fast as you would like.

I worked in the chemical industry for many years and developed a good relationship with the local staff of OSHA. Their own people often complain about not being able to do as good as they want to. Keep at it, success will be yours, and your coworkers, your family, the customers, the plumber's employees, etc.

Good Luck, Old Salt

A man who has the moral sentiments you have expressed will have no trouble finding other worthy employment, perhaps as an industry watchdog, and probably there are a few more needed. You are taking the right stance. You may be one of the only adults in the room there.

Air quality can be analyzed, but it will take someone responsible getting involved. Apparently, the adults are not in the room at your dealership, but trust me, when the adults come into the room, these "kiddos" running things there will take notice.

If this sewage problem is affecting you and your co-workers, how is it possible to not be affecting your children (after all, do you take your shoes off before you walk into the house?) Does this "malignancy" linger on your clothing?

You possibly should check further into your local government than the fire department. There may be a city health inspector that would really be interested in your issue. Otherwise - give the local news a shot at this first, as suggested by Lyn.

Jason. I worked as a waste water engineer for almost a decade. Any competent plumbing company that is certified to do confined entry MUST have the equipment to test the air quality in a confined space. Even now that I'm no longer in waste water treatment I could make one call and have at least 2 city agencies that would respond to a situations n like the ours and the area would be evacuated until the testing was complete. All the city or county waste water treatment department. Call OSHA and tell them you see an imminent danger to human life. They MUST. and I say MUST respond. I was just involved in a situation where OSHA was called and responded in less than 30 minutes because someone called and reported that there was imminent threat of loss of life. They RESPONDED! In force.

This morning I submitted a lengthy explanation on an attorney's website. I received a call back within three minutes! Will be meeting in person with a paralegal Wednesday at my home. Was instructed to file a worker's comp claim in the mean time. Spoke with my manager whom, so far, has refused to give me the required forms to fill out. Thought that was a bit absurd, but will be giving them until the end of the day to give me what I need. Outside of that I will simply inform the attorney my employer refused to let me file a claim.

Plumbing truck was here for three hours this morning hehehe. Said he flushed out a bunch of iron shaving but that it was still the original pipe that is erroding. Seems like they just keep putting a bandaid on a gunshot wound.

Just wanted to keep y'all posted. Thank you all again!

Document everything, even if you have to do it from memory.

Events, dates, persons involved, agencies contacted and their responses, co-workers medical documents, if they are willing to get involved, whatever you can swear to in court. Even this series of discussions.

A dispassionate presentations of the facts will go a lot farther than simply pointing fingers at the dealership's management for lack of concern.

That plumber is not an engineer. It appears to me (since I am neither) that there is a need to go over the entire plans of the building (if they exist en toto). A good architect/structural engineer/piping engineer should be able to find the fault(s) in the system at that building that lead to backflow of sewer gas.

Some communities put a slight pressure on the sewer pipes to provide lift, otherwise they might have to install a lift station. Maybe they pooched the pooch on this one, and really do need a lift station, and not pressure.