Emergency Response

Any organization working with hydrogen should develop an emergency response plan and follow it. For more about planning, see Dealing with Incidents. Important elements of emergency response include:

• Conducting emergency response training and emergency response drills on a regular basis.
• Reviewing and revising response plans based on experience.
• In the event of an incident, taking the following actions:
  • Immediately notify others or sound the alarm to make others aware of the danger and to summon first responders.
  • If safe to do so, shut off the hydrogen supply valves.
  • Exit the building by the nearest evacuation route and proceed to the congregation point.
  • Only trained responders should deal with spills, fires, and uncontrolled releases.
• Notifying the emergency responders of building layout and unique hazards in advance of an incident. They should do a walk-through to become familiar with the facility and materials stored and used there before an incident occurs.
• After the incident, following up with authorities having jurisdiction, reviewing incident and response plans, and updating procedures, training, controls, and processes to prevent recurrence and enhance future responses.

See Dealing with Incidents for more information.

References

LLNL's web-based training "DOE Hydrogen Safety". Module 5 - Emergency Response (HS5094-DOEW).

NFPA 45, Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals

OSHA 29CFR1910.120(q) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response