One worker killed and four others injured at US Ecology site in Ohio

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) is investigating the death of a 27-year-old man four days after he was critically injured by a release of hydrogen sulfide at an Ohio facility run by waste treatment firm US Ecology. Ray Sullivan, one of five people hospitalised after the incident, passed away on 26 August.

Hydrogen sulfide gas causes a wide range of health effects such as eye and respiratory irritation, depending on the concentration and duration of the exposure. The source of the leak is yet to be confirmed, and Osha’s investigation is expected to take up to six months. The US Ecology site processes a variety of waste streams, including wastewater treatment sludge.