TAXONOMY OF HYDROGEN INCIDENTS AND HOW TO DESIGN SAFER PLANTS

Safety expert Laurentiu Zamfirescu explains the importance of risk management during the design process to ensure a robust and safe plant The hydrogen industry, as any new industry, presents risks that are not well known, and costly mistakes due to uncontrolled events can take place. Perhaps the first well known major hydrogen accident is the Hindenburg airship fire that led to the death of 35 passengers. Since then, the general public has associated hydrogen with danger. Implementing lessons learned from accidents is an important tool to be applied during all project lifecycle phases. HYDROGEN’S HAZARDOUS PROPERTIES Hydrogen, under certain conditions, behaves differently than most flammable materials. Special consideration needs to be given to the conditions under which hydrogen is stored, handled and processed. Hydrogen gas is colourless and odourless. Its flammability range is large, while its flames are colourless. Hydrogen-air mixtures can ignite with one-tenth of the energy input required for igniting a gasoline-air mixture. An invisible spark or a static spark from a person can cause ignition. In its liquid and gaseous states, hydrogen is subject to leakage due to its...