Liquid Hydrogen Fires

Best practices for dealing with a liquid hydrogen fire include:

• The only sure way of handling a hydrogen fire is to let it burn under control until the hydrogen flow can be stopped.
• Close the block or isolation valves close to the hydrogen container by remote operation from a safe distance.
• Use water sprays to extinguish any secondary fire and keep the fire from spreading.
• Keep the hydrogen-containing equipment cool, but be careful not to spray pressure-relief devices, as ice formation could prevent them from working properly.
• Carbon dioxide may be used on a hydrogen fire, but dry chemicals are better because they make the flames visible.

References

G-095A-2017 , ANSI/AIAA Guide to Safety of Hydrogen and Hydrogen Systems, can be purchased from www.aiaa.org.

Air Products Safetygram for Gaseous Hydrogen (pdf, 161 kb)