A lot of folks may not know that Hydrogen gas is used as a refrigerant on generators at power plants. When I first started working on power plants in 2005, I was shocked at this practice and at how some plants managed these risks. I have never done work for the company involved in this fatal H2 explosion, but their set up was very similar to others. LEARNING from the mistakes of others is key to accident prevention…
At approximately 8:55 a.m. on January 8, 2007, an employee, and a truck driver arrived at the Power Plant located in Waterford, Ohio. The truck driver was delivering hydrogen gas to fill two 6500 cubic feet of storage cylinders at the plant. The hydrogen gas was used to cool the generator at the power plant.
At approximately 9:22 a.m., the employer, who was working alone at the time, was in the final stages of filling the cylinders. At this time witnesses heard a loud noise, like high-pressure gas venting through a relief valve, and within 15 to 20 seconds, the hydrogen gas exploded, killing the employee and injuring eight coworkers.
The investigation revealed that the hydrogen gas overpressurized a rupture disk attached to one of the hydrogen cylinders. As the set pressure of the rupture disk was between 3500 and 4000 psi, and the maximum pressure that could have been put on the system during filling was 2600 psi, the rupture disk failed well below its designed pressure. The release of hydrogen through the relief vent piping, which terminated outside above the roof, also caused the copper vent tubing to fail and burst apart at a 45-degree elbow below the roof, therefore releasing hydrogen gas under the roof. This allowed the gas to accumulate into a large cloud that subsequently ignited and exploded. The force of the explosion killed the employee and injured nine workers in an adjacent building.
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 7 | 1 | 8 | |||
| Current Violations | 7 | 1 | 8 | |||
| Initial Penalty | $8,850 | $0 | $0 | $300 | $0 | $9,150 |
| Current Penalty | $5,310 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,310 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 5A0001 | 06/15/2007 | 07/18/2007 | $900 | $1,500 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 2. | 01002A | Serious | 19100103 B01 IIA | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $900 | $1,500 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 3. | 01002B | Serious | 19100103 B01 IIC | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $0 | $0 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 4. | 01003 | Serious | 19100103 B01 IIIA | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $900 | $1,500 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 5. | 01004 | Serious | 19100103 B03 IB | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $1,260 | $2,100 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 6. | 01005 | Serious | 19100132 D02 | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $450 | $750 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 7. | 01006 | Serious | 19100147 C01 | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $450 | $750 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 8. | 01007 | Serious | 19101200 E01 | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $450 | $750 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 9. | 02001 | Other | 19040029 A | 06/15/2007 | 10/04/2007 | $0 | $300 | $0 | P – Petition to Mod Abatement |
Source: https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=309178523