Final answer:
Nitrogen gas is unsafe to vent in work areas as it can displace oxygen and cause asphyxiation, posing serious risks to workers including unconsciousness, suffocation, and potentially death. It is used to provide an inert atmosphere due to its strong unreactive triple bond. Safety equipment and proper containment are necessary to prevent exposure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Venting nitrogen gas to a work area can be extremely hazardous because nitrogen is an inert gas that can displace oxygen in the atmosphere, leading to an oxygen-deficient environment. One of the major risks associated with nitrogen in confined spaces is that it can cause asphyxiation without warning, since it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Although nitrogen is non-toxic, its ability to reduce oxygen levels in the air can render a person unconscious with even a single breath, which is potentially lethal. This is because a rapid decrease in oxygen concentration caused by the displacement of air with pure nitrogen can lead to immediate effects such as dizziness, loss of consciousness, and if not quickly addressed, suffocation.
In addition to the safety hazards related to the risk of asphyxiation, pure nitrogen is often used to provide an inert atmosphere for chemical reactions or the preservation of food because it does not react with other substances. This inert quality is due to the strong triple bond between nitrogen atoms, which makes the gas very unreactive. By venting nitrogen into a work area, there is also a risk of operational hazards, such as inadvertently actuating equipment with pneumatic controls, which could cause injury to workers.
Therefore, proper safety protocols must be followed, including using appropriate containment methods such as vacuum insulated containers for liquid nitrogen and using safety equipment such as fume hoods to protect workers from exposure to nitrogen gas.