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Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, suffocating gas with a rotten egg odor, commonly found in exhaust gases, sulfur-containing petroleum, as well as in sewers and tunnels. Sulfur-containing organic compounds **can also produce hydrogen sulfide gas. High concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas are often encountered during tasks such as sewer cleaning, river dredging, and waste removal, and this is even more pronounced when working in enclosed spaces. If proper precautions are not taken, it can easily lead to casualties. I. Characteristics of hydrogen sulfide poisoning incidents Hydrogen sulfide poisoning incidents have the following main characteristics: First, acute hydrogen sulfide poisoning incidents are prone to occur in hot summer weather ； Second, there were a large number of casualties in a hydrogen sulfide poisoning incident ； Third, accidents caused by hydrogen sulfide poisoning in small and medium-sized enterprises have increased significantly ； Fourth, poisoning accidents in municipal construction account for a large proportion ； Fifth, the accident-prone units fail to strictly comply with the Law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases; they ignore the health rights and interests of workers. The working environments are poor, with inadequate or even no health protection facilities, and occupational health management systems are not implemented ； Sixth, workers lack awareness of their health rights and self-protection needs, and improper or illegal operations lead to hydrogen sulfide poisoning accidents. Therefore, to prevent and reduce hydrogen sulfide poisoning, it is necessary to strengthen the prevention of hazards associated with hydrogen sulfide at all stages ； At the same time, it is necessary to widely disseminate knowledge on the prevention of various common occupational hazards, and strive to enhance workers’ legal awareness as well as their ability to prevent occupational poisoning incidents; only in this way can occupational poisoning incidents be effectively avoided. II. Measures to Prevent Hydrogen Sulfide Poisoning Based on an analysis of the mechanisms by which hydrogen sulfide is generated, as well as the causes and characteristics of related accidents, preventing hydrogen sulfide poisoning requires focusing on the following “six key aspects”: (1) Disseminating knowledge about prevention 1. Enterprises in the fields of sewage treatment, municipal construction, and chemicals should conduct specialized training sessions once a year to provide safety education regarding the prevention and control of hydrogen sulfide, thereby raising awareness among enterprise managers, safety personnel, and workers about the hazards associated with hydrogen sulfide. If necessary, it is possible to report occupational disease hazards to the local health administration authorities in accordance with the law, in order to receive guidance and supervision. 2. Departments such as health, work safety supervision, and municipal services should increase efforts to promote safety knowledge related to preventing hydrogen sulfide poisoning incidents, thereby attracting widespread attention across society and raising the level of awareness regarding such safety measures. (II) Implementation of responsible entities Each production and operation unit is the entity responsible for safety in production, and the principal persons in charge of such units must take full responsibility for the safety efforts within their respective units. 1. Production and business units shall earnestly promote and implement the Law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and the Regulations on Labor Protection in Workplaces Using Toxic Substances (State Council Order No. 352), strengthen labor protection measures in workplaces, improve conditions for safe production, ensure investment in safety production, and fulfill responsibilities related to safe production. 2. Production and business operations units shall inform their employees truthfully about the hazard factors present in the workplace and at their job positions, as well as the preventive measures and emergency response procedures in case of accidents. Safety reminders should be given before employees start working and throughout their tenure, with instructions on safety measures provided to help them use occupational protective equipment and supplies correctly. 3. In locations where the production and operational activities may generate hydrogen sulfide gas, it is necessary to equip workers with safety equipment such as gas detectors, respirators, and rescue belts ； Equipped with toxic and harmful gas detectors, medical rescue equipment, and medicines. Gas protection equipment must be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure it is clean and in good condition. (III) Improve management systems 1. Employers shall issue safety work permits for operations in confined spaces. Where work is carried out in pits, ponds, tanks, vats, ditches, as well as underground areas and pipelines where hydrogen sulfide gas is present, the employer shall develop a construction plan, entry permit procedures, operating regulations, and appropriate safety measures. It shall also define the responsibilities of the person in charge of the work, the workers entering the area to carry out the work, and the external supervisors, and implement a safety work permit system. Responsibilities of the task owner. The person in charge of the task must verify that the workers and supervisors have received appropriate occupational health training and meet the required qualifications, and ensure that the working environment, procedures, as well as protective equipment and supplies satisfy the requirements for entry ； Simultaneously check and verify the effectiveness of emergency rescue services and calling methods ； After the task is completed, ensure that the worker and the equipment and items they are carrying have all been removed. Responsibilities of the operator. Workers should receive occupational health training from their respective organizations and work with valid certificates ； Comply with the safety procedures for working in confined spaces ； Proper use of safety equipment for working in confined spaces and personal protective equipment ； Effective two-way communication with the supervisor regarding safety, alarms, evacuation, etc., is necessary. Duties of the guardian. Guardians should receive occupational health training from their respective organizations and work with valid certificates ； Ensure continuous monitoring outside the confined space throughout the operator’s work period ； Communicate with the operators in a timely manner regarding necessary and effective information on safety, alarms, evacuation, etc ； Issue an evacuation warning to the workers in case of an emergency, call emergency rescue services immediately if necessary, and carry out emergency rescue operations outside the confined space ； When fulfilling their duties of monitoring and protection, guardians must stay at their posts and carry out their responsibilities ； Those attempting to enter without permission are warned and persuaded to leave. The permit-to-work procedures and safety operating procedures should specify that the conditions for granting access are the detection of toxic and harmful gases in the hazardous area ； In work areas containing toxic gases, measures such as forced ventilation, nitrogen purging, and air replacement are taken until the tests show satisfactory results ； Ensure that it remains under controlled conditions in terms of safety and hygiene throughout the entire license period. Before starting work, the operators must wear gas masks and fasten their safety belts, and there must be a dedicated person on site to supervise them. Work can only be approved after all safety measures have been implemented. 2. Establish and improve emergency rescue plans for hydrogen sulfide poisoning incidents. Industries and enterprises that may be exposed to toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide, including those involved in sewage treatment, petrochemical and chemical fiber production, as well as the manufacture of certain chemical raw materials, should establish comprehensive emergency response plans for incidents caused by exposure to such toxic gases. In accordance with the requirements of their operations, they must assign emergency response teams, provide necessary rescue equipment, and implement various safety measures and handling procedures. Companies should revise the emergency response plans they have established as needed and conduct regular drills. (IV) Strict access controls for operations 1. All units must strictly comply with relevant regulations; they shall not assign tasks such as gutter cleaning, river dredging, and waste removal to entities or individuals that do not meet safety requirements. It is strictly prohibited to assign work to persons who have not received professional training nor obtained the necessary certification. When signing project contracts, all parties should also conclude safety production agreements that specify their respective management responsibilities. The contracting party shall provide unified coordination and management for the contracting entity. When entering into a project contract with the contractor, the employer shall inform the contractor of the hazardous factors present in the workplace, require the contractor to develop procedures for safe work, and approve access only after ensuring that the working conditions meet the required standards. The contractor shall, in accordance with the requirements of the employer, formulate operation procedure documents and strictly follow these procedures. 2. Strengthen supervision of small and medium-sized enterprises effectively, enforce strict entry requirements for operations; in particular, those enterprises involved in the production of hazardous chemicals should be considered as key targets for supervision. It is necessary to require such enterprises to install gas prevention facilities, equipment, and instruments, and to establish operational standards in order to improve the safety levels of these small enterprises. (5) Adhere to operating in accordance with regulations. Employers should actively establish and strictly enforce procedures for obtaining permits to work in confined spaces as well as safety protocols for such work. Managers at all levels and workers must study these regulations carefully, memorize them, and ensure their proper implementation. It is necessary to strengthen safety awareness, overcome complacency, eliminate illegal operations and improper command, and prevent hydrogen sulfide poisoning accidents. (VI) Strengthen on-site management 1. Warning signs should be installed in high-risk areas, and work must be carried out under the supervision of qualified personnel who are equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment. It is prohibited to clean sewers without using any protective measures. 2. When someone suffers from hydrogen sulfide poisoning, rescuers should wear professional protective masks while carrying out rescue operations; blind attempts at rescue by those without the necessary qualifications should be prevented to avoid further casualties. And call the police promptly to seek professional assistance. 3. All construction units and property management departments must assign dedicated personnel to oversee the work site when planning tasks, verify the qualifications of those working there, establish requirements for safe production, supervise the implementation of safety measures, inform staff promptly of any potential safety issues that may arise during operations, and immediately stop any activities that violate safety regulations, thereby ensuring that safe production practices are applied throughout the entire process