
Photo courtesy of HAMMER
Normally hydrogen fires are not extinguished until the supply of hydrogen has been shut off due to the danger of re-ignition and explosion. Personnel who work around hydrogen should be trained in the characteristics of hydrogen fires and proper procedures for dealing with them.
- A hydrogen fire is often difficult to detect without a thermal imaging camera or flame detector.
- Let a gaseous hydrogen fire burn, but spray water on adjacent equipment to cool it.
- Be careful not to spray pressure-relief devices, since ice formation could make them inoperable.
Lesson Learned Reference
References
G-095A-2017, ANSI/AIAA Guide to Safety of Hydrogen and Hydrogen Systems, can be purchased from www.aiaa.org.
(mov, 7.4 mb), filmed by ImageWorks for DOE.
Air Products Safetygram for Gaseous Hydrogen (pdf, 161 kb)
Air Products Safetygram for Liquid Hydrogen (pdf, 122 kb)