Lessons learned and recommendations from analysis of hydrogen incidents and accidents to support risk assessment for the hydrogen economy

Abstract

This study addresses challenges associated with hydrogen's physio-chemical characteristics and the need for safety and public acceptance as a precursor to the emerging hydrogen economy. It highlights the gap in existing literature regarding lessons learned from events in the green hydrogen production value chain. The study aims to use the documented lessons learned from previous hydrogen-related events to assist in enhancing safety measures and to guide stakeholders on how to avoid and mitigate future hydrogen-related events. Given the potential catastrophic consequences, robust safety systems are essential for hydrogen economy development. The work underscores the importance of human and operational factors as root causes of these events. The paper recommends establishing a specialized hydrogen-related event database to support risk assessment and risk mitigation, thus catering to the growing hydrogen industry's needs, and facilitating quick access to critical information for stakeholders in the private and public sectors.