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.
Performing other tasks while filling hydrogen tube trailers, such as mechanic work, should be avoided. Most premature failures of hydrogen tube trailer PRD burst discs occur during the fill process.
Grounding, as was done in the incident, should always be done during hydrogen filling. However, even when the fill vessel is grounded, it is not unusual for a hydrogen release to immediately ignite.
The facility safety deluge water system should be checked periodically for coverage. In this case, a water cannon was a little off target from the last time it was operated and has now be repositioned and stabilized to ensure that it does not move in the future.
Emergency responders assumed that adjacent tube trailers were heating up from single-cylinder vent flare as a 300°F (149°C) reading was obtained with a thermal device. This slightly delayed the closing of the cylinder isolation valves on the tube trailer. After-incident investigation found no paint discolored or burnt, so the temperature taken by the emergency responders was likely near the flaming vent discharge point.
Securing hydrogen fill valve(s) at the back of the tube trailer was not dependent on the temperature at the vent stack, as this area was covered by deluge nozzles and located 40 feet (12.2 meters) away from the vent stack.
Media involvement and resulting speculation can portray a situation as being much worse than it actually is.
Hydrogen Tube Trailer Burst Disc Ruptures Prematurely While Filling
LESSONS
LEARNED
Disclaimer: The Lessons Learned Database includes the incidents that were voluntarily submitted. The database is not a comprehensive source for all incidents that have occurred.