Near Miss: Hydrogen Leak at Airport Refueling Station Causes Emergency Response
This near miss occurred at an airport's hydrogen refilling station. At 7:35, a hydrogen leak was detected by hearing whistles in the near of a pipe. The operators warned the airport firefighters ten minutes later. Upon their arrival, the firefighters set up a security perimeter of 150 m around the installation. The station is located on the border between the public space and the private space and was surrounded by a fence with a gate accessible only by a code unknown to the emergency services. This causes the firefighters the difficulty to pass from one area to another.Moreover, the airport fuel depot was very close and raised the fear of a possible domino effect in the event of a UVCE (unconfined vapour cloud explosion) or an explosion of the trailer. The airport activity was impacted for 30 minutes, but not air traffic. The emergency services have trouble contacting the airport operator who sent a technician only at the end of the day. The technician locks the shut-off valve of the trailer acting as hydrogen storage at 18:40. Two days later, a technician precisely located the location of the leak and fixed it. The operator estimated the quantity of hydrogen released at 5.7 kg.
Event Date
September 24, 2022
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Cause Comments
The immediate cause of the leak is the failure of the joint connecting the hydrogen dispenser to the refueling hose. A lack of communication between operator and the emergency services hindered the placing of preventing and mitigating measures. Also the access logistic had not been designed to optimize a quick emergency action.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
dispenser, flexible hose
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Airport and/or Airborne
Operational Condition
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
The specific lesson elarned is unknown. In general, the event reveal shortcoming in the logisitics and the the communications between stakeholders during the emergency. The design of the access to theistnallation has to take int oaccount the accesst othe emergency services. O ntop of that, the ris kassessment during teh desgin pahse did nto consider the possibility of a domino effect resulting by the vicinity of aiport fuel storage.
Event Nature
Emergency Action
At 7:35 a.m. a hydrogen leak was detected At 7:45 a.m. the operators warned the airport firefighters which set up a security perimeter of 150 m around the installation. The airport activity is impacted for 30 minutes, but not air traffic. The emergency services have trouble contacting the operator who sends a technician at the end of the day. This locks the trailer shut-off valve at 6:40 p.m.Two days later, a technician precisely located the location of the leak and fixed it
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References