Because the bottle was located outside at the time of the event, and the hydrogen did not find a source of ignition while venting through the relief valve, nothing serious happened. The failed regulator was replaced and operations continued.…

1. Include the tanks in a regular inspection program. Evaluate their condition and replace if necessary.
2. Fill the tanks only half full with leach material.
3. Keep the material completely submerged in solution.
4. Install a…

1. The trailer involved in the incident used a frangible burst disk based upon the proprietary metal compound designated as Inconel #600. Random sampling of similar pressure relief devices from the same trailer showed that all of them failed at…

The following corrective actions have been taken:

• The non-return valve was dismantled, cleaned, and tested. Following positive testing, the system was restarted and pressurized without any further malfunctioning.
• The hydrogen…

1. Specific response drills/exercises need to be conducted yearly. In this case, all safety systems worked as they should and outside emergency responders were not needed.
2. Performing other tasks while filling hydrogen tube trailers,…

1. Evaluate any change in normal procedures or conditions for storage of aluminum hydride products. In this case, the aluminum hydride material was typically stored at -35°C in the glove box freezer. However, due to a change in glove boxes, this…

1. All samples with potential for hydrogen buildup should be limited to ground shipment only. (This shipment was by ground and air. If this incident were to have happened in an airplane, the consequences may have been worse.)

2. All samples…

1. A hydrogen tube pressure indication system needs to be developed that is robust enough to withstand an accident, indicates hydrogen pressure regardless of valve position, and would be visible from a safe distance during an accident situation…

• Replace the existing copper and carbon steel hydrogen pipeline with ¾-inch schedule 40 stainless steel.
• Reroute the new hydrogen line in the preferred location.
• Locate new hydrogen shut-off valves in a more convenient…

Recommendation 1 - Overhaul and replace the diaphragms on all cells showing low-purity results. Check on a routine basis the individual cell purity levels to monitor the deterioration of performance of individual cells. Certain…

Hydrogen distribution lines should be designed and carefully inspected to ensure process equipment in the area is correctly and safely installed. Equipment subject to vibration should not be placed in contact with hydrogen lines or with other…

• Metal hydride materials of a composition which is not well characterized should be handled with procedures that assume a "worst case" for that class of materials, intermediates or precursors.
• Laboratory procedures should be in…

Now, when conducting a sulfur deprivation test, vessels are ventilated to prevent over pressurization and safely facilitate the release of excess hydrogen.

• One needs to take extreme care with both new and supposedly spent hydride samples; the spent materials may contain pockets of unoxidized alanates that could react violently when being transferred.
• Work with small samples so if…

• Valve packing on ammonia tanks should be checked on a regular basis.
• If an ammonia smell becomes noticeable, the tank should be returned to the supplier.

1. Flexible tubing should be secured so it cannot get dislodged during operations.
2. Fume hoods where hydrogen is used should not be made of combustible materials. 3. Preventative maintenance should be performed on equipment on a…

• Metal hydride materials of a composition which is not well characterized should be handled with procedures that assume a "worst case" for that class of materials, intermediates or precursors.
• Laboratory procedures should be in…

• A redundant safety circuit was put into service and the tank returned to normal operation after the failure. Both rupture discs were replaced and the tank was inspected.
• Important to note that the safety system functioned as…

Hazard analysis should consider potential leak locations, potential ignition sources in the vicinity, and the potential for accumulating flammable gases in that area.

Users should leak-check all cylinders upon installation. This event…