• When truck drivers are carrying new trailers, with new load distribution characteristics, they need to exercise caution, especially on hazardous roadways such as the one described in this occurrence. If the trailer stack would have been…

• All tank trailers should have a safely accessible auxiliary shut off valve in case of spills.
• Emergency personnel need to have access to all of the appropriate protective clothing, including shoes. Liquid hydrogen is stored at 20…

The use of inerting gas or other means of separation should be employed when conducting mechanical work where hydrogen gas could be present. More importantly, per CGA S1.3, the vessel should be equipped with a dual relief system that can isolate…

Extra caution should be taken working around elevated pressure or low-temperature fluids and storage. Values should be checked and then verified by a second party, if possible.

The charging characteristics of a battery vary with the condition of the battery and are proportional to the ampere-hour capacity of the battery. During charging, when a battery is close to being fully charged, hydrogen and oxygen both offgas in…

It is characteristic of silver/zinc batteries to outgas both hydrogen and oxygen for several hours after discharge. Also, in the future, the battery should be properly secured inside the container.

Refueling operations need to be conducted in a careful and attentive manner, and operators need to be aware of the potential consequences of their actions.

Lessons Learned The site initiated the establishment of a field patrol and strengthened their onsite monitoring of mechanical equipment during a plant-wide temperature rise.

• Quantitative control of tightening torque on bolts…

This incident emphasizes the need for proper gas detection and ventilation systems, as well as fire suppression systems, in laboratories using and storing hydrogen. This is especially true when open flame burners are in close proximity.…

Fail-safe position of control valves in supply lines must be set correctly to prevent damage to pressure vessels.

Recommendation

Set all valves for fail safe operation (open or closed) according to needs before installation…

• Operation and management of the hydrodesulfurization unit should be strengthened to account for abnormal phenomena such as local corrosion.
• The safety review system for remodeling existing equipment and facilities should be…

In the future, the laboratory will issue a memorandum about this incident to illustrate the need to wear safety glasses with side shields, store chemicals compatibly, take care when placing chemicals in the refrigerators for storage, and keep the…

Procedures for safe handling of compressed gas cylinders, marking design of gas cylinders and connecting lines, and arrangement of cylinders were reviewed and modified as necessary. The spectrometer was returned to the manufacturer for a careful…

In addition to the probable causes listed above, the lack of a standard operating procedure for hydrogen leak detection was one of the probable causes of this incident. Additional contributing factors included the following:
- Severe pipe…