Severity
Incident
Was Hydrogen Released?
Yes
Was There Ignition?
Yes
Incident Date
Dec 31, 1969
Setting
Equipment
- Piping/Fittings/Valves
- Piping
- Hand Tools
- Crafts Tools
Damage and Injuries
Probable Cause
Contributing Factors
When Incident Was Discovered
Lessons Learned
This incident illustrates the danger of hydrogen being inadvertently released through blown water seals. Similar incidents have occurred in non-nuclear industrial facilities, but offgas systems present a special hazard because of the stoichiometric proportions of the offgas mixture.