Emergency Procedures

As the use of fuel cell technology accelerates, many applications will involve installing hydrogen fuel cell equipment into existing workplace environments and retrofitting the installation site, as opposed to installing the fuel cells in locations that have been specifically designed to handle them. Employers should establish a safety plan that covers all foreseeable emergency situations. For example, in the planning stage of a fuel cell project, it is good practice to inform the firefighting team that hydrogen will shortly be stored at the location. The safe handling of fuel cells in locations with little prior experience of hydrogen raises new worker safety issues.

Appropriate training that meets OSHA Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) requirements must be completed by any facility personnel who would take offensive action in the event of a hydrogen release. If a facility does not provide this detailed training, then the facility should be categorized as a non-responding facility and subject to Emergency Action Plan (EAP) requirements. If the facility wants its personnel to take offensive action, it must meet Emergency Response Plan ERP) requirements, which are much more stringent.

The emergency action plan covers incident procedures, and is developed and implemented to ensure employee safety. At a minimum, it should include the following:

• Evacuation procedures, exit routes, and staging areas for non-responding personnel
• Procedures for employees who oversee critical plant operations before evacuating
• Procedures to account for all employees after emergency evacuation is completed
• Procedures for employees performing medical and rescue activities
• The preferred means for reporting fires and other emergencies (including emergency phone numbers)
• Contact information for persons who can provide additional information or explanation of the duties covered by this plan

These new hydrogen usage and storage situations present significant technical and engineering challenges. One of the most significant of these will be the very large demand for the technical skills necessary to ensure that appropriate emergency procedures are followed.

To learn more about Hydrogen Fuel Cell Safety visit our Hydrogen Fuel Cell Safety Online Training web page.