image of a hydrogen fuel cell

H2Incidents: Hydrogen Incident Reporting and Lessons Learned

About H2Incidents | Advanced Search

H2Incidents Help!

Definitions

Incident
An incident is an event that results in:
  • a lost-time accident and/or injury to personnel
  • damage to project equipment, facilities or property
  • impact to the public or environment
  • an emergency response or should have resulted in an emergency response.
Near-Miss
A near-miss is an event that, under slightly different circumstances, could have become an incident. Examples include:
  • any unintentional hydrogen release that ignites, or is sufficient to sustain a flame if ignited, and does not fit the definition for an incident
  • any hydrogen release which accumulates above 25% of the lower flammability limits within an enclosed space and does not fit the definition of an incident
Non-Event
A non-event is a situation, occurrence, or other outcome relevant to safety that does not involve a particular incident or near miss. For example, a non-event might consist of a failed safety inspection.
Close

H2Incidents Help!

Navigation

The left navigation on the H2Incidents website is two-fold.

  1. Links
    By clicking on the links in the left navigation, you can view all incident reports matching that lone selection. For example, clicking on "Minor Injury" within the "Damages and Injuries" category will return a list of all incident reports that included "Minor Injury."
  2. Checkboxes
    Selecting checkboxes next to navigation items—then clicking the "Update Criteria" button—will provide a restrictive search on the criteria selected. Each selected checkbox will restrict the results to only incident reports that include that criteria. For example, selecting the checkbox next to "Minor Injury" in the "Damages and Injuries" category and selecting the checkbox next to "Decision Making" in the "Factors" category will return a list of all incident reports that included both "Minor Injury" and "Decision Making."
Close

Incident Report

Laboratory Technician Fatally Burned When Leaking Hydrogen Ignites

Incident Date: 1992

 

Severity:
Incident

Was Hydrogen released?
Yes

Was there Ignition?
Yes

Ignition Source: Open Flame

Description

A laboratory technician died and three others were injured when hydrogen gas being used in experiments leaked and ignited a flash fire.

The incident occurred in a 5,700-square-foot, single-story building of unprotected non-combustible construction. The building was not equipped with automatic gas detection or fire suppression systems.

Employees in the laboratory were conducting high-pressure, high-temperature experiments with animal and vegetable oils in a catalytic cracker under a gas blanket. They were using a liquefied petroleum gas burner to supply heat in the process.

Investigators believe that a large volume of hydrogen leaked into the room through a pump seal or a pipe union, spread throughout the laboratory, and ignited after coming into contact with the operating LPG burner some 10 to 15 feet away. The flash fire engulfed the people in the room.

Other employees used portable fire extinguishers to extinguish the localized fires caused by the flash fire. The fire department received notification at 2:36 pm. Because the fires were extinguished by the time they arrived, fire fighters provided emergency care to the injured. Damage was estimated as $25,000.

Setting

Equipment

Heating Equipment

Damage and Injuries

Probable Cause(s)

Contributing Factors

No Characteristics Defined.

The incident was discovered During Operations.

Lessons Learned/Suggestions for Avoidance/Mitigation Steps Taken

This incident emphasizes the need for proper gas detection and ventilation systems, as well as fire suppression systems, in laboratories using and storing hydrogen. This is especially true when open flame burners are in close proximity. Experienced consultants/engineers should be involved in the design of gas detection and ventilation systems before hydrogen cylinders are employed in any laboratory. Laboratories also need to develop a Standard Operating Procedure, requiring periodic maintenance on hydrogen systems to check fittings, valves, and all critical components to ensure proper functionality at all times.

Date Added to H2Incidents: 6/29/2007