Safe Handling of Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Employers must thoroughly assess the risks arising from the manual handling and maintenance of hydrogen fuel cells. The choice of location, the mode of fuel storage (for example, cylinders, refillable static storage, and so forth), and the equipment provided can have a significant impact on the overall risk.

The DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Program identifies safe practices in the production, storage, distribution, and use of hydrogen. These practices are essential for the widespread acceptance of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. A catastrophic failure in any project could damage the public's perception of hydrogen and fuel cells. The project safety plan is meant to help identify and avoid potential hydrogen and hydrogen-related incidents.

In general, a good safety plan identifies immediate (primary) failure modes as well as secondary failure modes that may come about because of other failures. In effective safety planning, every conceivable failure is identified.

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