Once again, 4 sanitation workers have died while cleaning a septic tank in Patna district of Bihar. This is not the first time that a sanitation worker has died while cleaning a septic tank in the country. Every year, hundreds of sanitation workers die in septic tanks. But do you know which gas is produced in a septic tank, which is fatal for humans?
Septic Tank
Every year hundreds of septic tank cleaning workers die in India. But the question is why do suffocation occur in the septic tank cleaning workers and which gas is dangerous for them?
Dangerous Gas
According to experts, the septic tank is always closed, in such a situation, due to sewage and dirty water, there is an excess of methane gas in the tank. Whenever a sanitation worker descends into the septic tank, the intensity of the smell of methane gas directly attacks the brain as soon as he breathes. Due to its effect, the person becomes unconscious. On the other hand, if a person becomes unconscious inside a safety tank, then he dies.
Expert told the truth
Dr. Ravi Prakash Pandey, Professor of Chemistry at Buddha Degree College, Kushinagar, says that the main component of the gas formed in the waste and sewerage of septic tanks is methane, which can be extremely toxic in high concentrations. He said that such gas can also be formed due to dirty water. On the other hand, coming in contact with methane gas during cleaning can cause irritation in the eyes, sore throat, shortness of breath and cough and its excess can affect the nervous system. Apart from this, excess of gas affects the lungs and brain along with suffocation, headache and dizziness, which becomes the cause of death. That is why often the employees cleaning septic tanks die.
How will the cleaning be done
It is necessary to clean the septic tank before cleaning. But for this, some things should be kept in mind, which people often do not keep in mind. If the septic tank is being cleaned manually or opened for any other reason, the lid should be removed and wait for half an hour, only after that one should go down. To check whether there is poisonous gas or not, one should put a burning matchstick in it. If fire burns during this, then it should be understood that there is gas. In such a situation, after leaving the manhole open, water should be sprinkled in it. The employee who goes down for cleaning should wear an oxygen mask and safety belt on his mouth. A rope should be tied around the waist, so that in an emergency, the partner standing above can immediately take him out.
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