Fermentation gas accident
A fermentation gas accident is an accident in which people come into the vicinity of fermentation gases and are harmed by a lack of oxygen .
Fermentation gases are mixtures of air that arise during fermentation processes . These gases have a higher than normal carbon dioxide content (0.04%). Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is produced during the alcoholic fermentation of mash , must or animal feed. Fermentation gases are heavier than air and form what are known as fermentation lanes on the ground; they occur primarily in wine cellars or in silos . These locations often do not have the necessary ventilation equipment so that the gas can collect on the bottom and form a slowly rising lake. The main danger is that fermentation gases are odorless and cannot be perceived without aids. The general fermentation smell (for example in wine cellars) does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the carbon dioxide content.
The following article provides general information on the risk of CO 2 (carbon dioxide): Carbon dioxide # Physiological effects and hazards .
Thanks to education, the number of fermentation gas accidents in feed silos in Germany has fallen sharply since the 1980s.
CO 2 levels and their hazards
In the past, it was common for winegrowers to sample candles, but as shown below, it is by no means suitable for reliably determining the dangerous carbon dioxide concentration. The flame still burns with a dangerous CO 2 content, which can lead to serious damage to health and in unfavorable cases to death!
- 0.5%: maximum workplace concentration
- 1%: symptoms after a few hours
- 4%: increased breathing rate, drowsiness, palpitations
- 9%: fatal within 5 to 10 minutes
- 14%: Average value at which the candle goes out
- 20%: fatal within a short time
The danger is that people are initially slightly "intoxicated" when entering rooms with increased carbon dioxide concentration, but may collapse unconscious within a very short time and the respiratory organs come completely into the fermentation gas lake (the carbon dioxide concentration is higher near the ground), so that this effect still exists is reinforced. In the case of silos, there is often the danger that a ladder is used to enter them and that if you lose consciousness you fall down the ladder.
Safety devices
Clearly visible warning signs must be installed in places where fermentation gases can occur. The installation of a carbon dioxide warning device, which is coupled with an exhaustor , is the best way of preventing life-threatening fermentation gas concentrations from occurring in the first place. The following safety devices relate in particular to wine cellars. For both safety devices, the outlet opening must be selected so that the carbon dioxide cannot flow back into the cellar and there is no risk to external persons. Carbon dioxide can also flow through walls and crevices into neighboring and underlying cellars. Therefore, the owners of these cellars must be warned of the onset of fermentation.
- Extraction fan: The fan must be installed at the lowest point in the cellar and it must be possible to switch it on from the outside. The suction capacity of the blower must be adjusted to the size of the cellar and the amount of must.
- Direct fermentation gas discharge: When directly discharging the fermentation gases from the barrels, particular attention must be paid to the tight design of the pipe and hose connections.
Rescue measures in the event of an accident
Accidental persons may only be rescued with suitable self-contained breathing apparatus (e.g. compressed air breathing apparatus or with a suction hose device ). Respiratory masks do not offer any protection in this case. If an exhaust fan is available, this can be used to supply fresh air. Due to the necessary self-protection , an alarm must be given beforehand via the emergency call and only then can the rescue begin. Since the fire brigade has the necessary equipment, they can take over the rescue of the accident victim with much less risk than private individuals.
Web links
- Fermentation gases are poisonous. AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG, 2020 (carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hazards, hazard management, "fermentation gas hood")
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Social Insurance Institution of Farmers, Austria, leaflet: Fermentation gases in the wine cellar , accessed on December 25, 2019, offline on January 31, 2020.
- ↑ Dominik Göttler, Sebastian Grauvogel: Landwohl suffocates in the feed silo. In: OVB-Heimatzeitungen.de . December 4, 2018, accessed February 1, 2020 .