Hydrogen Fire Safety: Standards and Regulations

Adopting hydrogen fuel can be a game-changer for incorporating clean energy into your business practices. However, hydrogen energy does come with one major safety consideration—flammability.

Due to high flammability, responsible businesses should implement several hydrogen fire safety measures to prevent harmful incidents. With the right protocols in place, you can safely use hydrogen to power your business.

Below, we’ll explore best practices and considerations for hydrogen fire safety.

Understanding Hydrogen Fire Safety

Virtually no fuel provides benefits without some safety risk. Gasoline prevents flammability and fume hazards, while electricity requires extensive protection for handlers.

Many businesses see hydrogen fuel as a great energy source because it is efficient, clean, and only produces water. However, there are still safety concerns, especially regarding flammability. Just a small amount of hydrogen in the air can ignite. Hydrogenreceived a four rating on the National Fire Prevention Association’s (NFPA) flammability standards per NFPA 704, which is the highest possible.

However, with the right engineering controls, fire safety procedures, and understanding, hydrogen fuel provides a safe, stable option for clean energy.

Properties of Hydrogen

The basic physical properties of hydrogen are also the root of some of its main risks as a fuel source. Hydrogen lacks any color, odor, or taste, so it can be challenging to identify hydrogen gas leaks. It’s also flammable at several different concentrations in the air, and it ignites more easily than other fuel sources.

However, hydrogen does have other properties that mitigate its fire risk. For example, hydrogen weighs only about 7% of an equivalent amount of air. Therefore, if a leak does occur, it can disperse quickly with proper ventilation. Hydrogen is also safer than diesel as an energy source because it is non-toxic.

Ultimately, hydrogen possesses the highest energy content of most available fuels, virtually unlimited availability, and massive potential as a clean energy source. So, preparing infrastructure and personnel for safe hydrogen handling and storage will be very worthwhile.

Common Risks in Hydrogen Projects

Understanding potential hydrogen hazards is the first step to preventing hydrogen fires and developing safety protocols:

• Possible leaks – Hydrogen gas is typically stored in high-pressure tanks. Although properly designed tanks will have secure valves, these valves and fittings can malfunction or be improperly aligned, causing a leak.
• Ignition sources – Hydrogen leaks on their own aren’t necessarily a problem thanks to its non-toxicity. However, this can still be an issue when a spark ignites the hydrogen fuel. Common ignition sources include:
  • Open flames and incendiary materials
  • Electrical equipment, sparks, and fused wires
  • Heating equipment and hot surfaces
  • Electrostatic sparks
  • Compression without heat transfer (i.e., adiabatic processes)
  • Mechanical friction, impacts, or shockwaves
• Explosion risks – Higher concentrations of hydrogen in the air have the potential to explode instead of starting a fire. As a result, ventilation remains crucial to reducing the severity of hydrogen combustion.

Essential Safety Standards and Regulations—International and National Standards

For domestic US operations, the National Fire Prevention Association created national standards for handling hydrogen under the NFPA 2 Hydrogen Code. It includes guidelines for compliance, permits, emergency planning, signage, ventilation, piping, alarm systems, explosion control, and more.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) also provides guidelines for using hydrogen under the “Hazardous Materials” section of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards. These rules outline the engineering and environmental requirements for any workplace that uses hydrogen.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) also established global guidelines for using and storing hydrogen fuel per ISO/TC 197, supporting hydrogen safety standards for international projects. The situation-specific guidelines outline advice and considerations for different projects, such as water electrolysis generators and fueling hydrogen vehicles.

Best Practices for Hydrogen Fire Safety

When using hydrogen fuel, it is important to know and follow all the laws and safety standards that apply. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most important steps you should take to prevent hydrogen fires.

Designing Safe Hydrogen Infrastructure

If you’re using hydrogen in your facility, proper engineering is essential. All areas that could be exposed to hydrogen leaks should have proper ventilation to reduce the risk of hydrogen building up in a confined space. Additionally, you should use fire-proof equipment whenever possible. Use special valves and regulators that are specifically designed to suppress leaks and prevent fires.

Safety Procedures and Protocols

Establish thorough safety procedures for storing and using hydrogen. Best practices include:

• Store all canisters and cylinders in an upright position, in a secure and well-ventilated area where they won’t be knocked over.
• Use protective valve caps when transporting hydrogen canisters.
• Regularly check for hydrogen leaks and eliminate potential ignition sources.
• Set up a flammable gas alarm in areas that are at the highest risk of leaks.
• Conduct frequent safety drills with staff.
• Create an emergency response plan and ensure that all staff members understand the protocols.

Create a safety document that outlines all of these expectations to ensure everyone follows the same protocols. Develop a streamlined safety checklist that employees can reference any time they interact with hydrogen, and post signs with helpful reminders about proper handling.

Training and Education

Your hydrogen fire prevention protocols will only be effective if everyone in the workplace upholds them. Train all employees on both general fire safety and the specific nuances of hydrogen fire prevention. Cover topics like ventilation procedures, equipment maintenance requirements, storage practices, and safe handling. Make sure that all staff members understand what to do if an emergency occurs, and designate emergency response tasks to specific members of your team.

Mitigation Strategies for Hydrogen Incidents

Even organizations with the most thorough fire prevention standards can have accidents. If a leak, fire, or explosion does occur, having a thorough response plan can help you limit the impact of the incident.

Immediate Response to Hydrogen Fires and Explosions

In the event of a hydrogen fire or explosion, immediately follow these steps to limit the damage:

1. Communicate the incident – Activate your alarm system and send out a notice of the incident.
2. Evacuate occupants – Have everyone in the area follow evacuation protocols and leave through designated fire exits.
3. Remove access to hydrogen – If it’s safe to do so, shut off all hydrogen valves to prevent more hydrogen from feeding the fire.
4. Contact emergency services – You should call for help immediately to ensure the fire is fully contained and get first aid to those who need it. Only trained personnel should attempt to fight the fire.

If an incident does occur, work to identify the cause of the fire. Being able to trace its source can help you prevent future leaks or remove potential ignition sources from your facility.

Long-term Mitigation Measures

Hydrogen fire safety doesn’t just involve establishing one-time protocols. It’s an ongoing investment. Keep equipment in good condition by regularly checking and fixing any broken parts or fittings.

Along with standard equipment maintenance, conduct routine safety audits and compliance testing. These reviews should address both the work environment in general and employee adherence to fire safety protocols. Based on your findings, implement additional safety measures, upgrade your monitoring systems, or plan extra employee training sessions to address areas of concern.

Safely Embracing Hydrogen Energy

Safe hydrogen handling and fire prevention should be the top priority for any company interested in using hydrogen fuel. Although hydrogen does have some risks, such as leaking and igniting in confined spaces, there are basic protocols that you can use to combat these hazards. Moreover, the investment in and adoption of safety standards and practices will be offset by hydrogen fuel’s benefits.

By creating a hydrogen-safe environment, establishing a safety plan, and regularly reviewing your safety protocols, you can safely utilize this clean, renewable form of energy.

To ensure your hydrogen fuel systems continually prove both safe and effective, partner with FASTECH for your sustainable energy solutions. As a leader in end-to-end energy solutions, we have high standards for safety, so you can confidently incorporate hydrogen into your operations.

Connect with our team for a consultation to see how you can upgrade your renewable energy systems.

Sources:

NFPA. NFPA 704 - Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. https://www.det-tronics.com/content/documents/Hydrogen-fire-safety-white-paper-74-1019-1.3.pdf

Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. Safe Use of Hydrogen. https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/safe-use-hydrogen

NRDC. Hydrogen Safety: Let's Clear the Air. https://www.nrdc.org/bio/christian-tae/hydrogen-safety-lets-clear-air

EIA. Hydrogen Explained. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydrogen/

HySafe. Hydrogen Ignition. http://www.hysafe.org/download/1042/BRHS_Chap3_hydrogen%20ignition%20version_0_9_0.pdf

Science Direct. Hydrogen Explosion. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/hydrogen-explosion

NFPA. NFPA 2, HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGIES CODE (2023). https://www.nfpa.org/product/nfpa-2-code/p0002code

ISO. Hydrogen Technologies. https://www.iso.org/committee/54560.html

OSHA. Hydrogen. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.103

Auburn University. Hydrogen Gas Safety Overview. https://cws.auburn.edu/shared/files?id=227&filename=Hydrogen%20Safety%20Overview.pdf