Mary, for starters I dir ect you to NFPA 45 and NFPA 55 (see www.nfpa.org, free registration required to access standards online).

The short points are the se:

- Only cylinders which a re IN USE are to be in the lab.  IN USE is defined as connected to deliver g as to lab operation or a single back-up cylinder secured alongside a connected one.

- Max 3 cylinders for 50 0 sq ft lab.  (The quantitative equation for this is given in NFPA 45 – see for values tailored to your situation.)

- Store cylinders not IN USE in gas rooms per NFPA 55.

See also ACS’s Han dbook of Chemical Health and Safety (Chapter 54, especially p. 382) and Prudent Practices in the Laboratory (especially p. 123).  Consider also: http://h2bestpractices.org/ lab_safety/

These will give you lots of information about safety rules, etc. for hydrogen.  As for evaluating risks, run through a set of scenarios (worst case, next to worst case, etc. ) until you are satisfied you have a grasp on what you could be facing.  Build in controls accordingly. 

Easy to say, hard to do!

-Nick< /p>

Two resources for gas fi ttings and compatible tubing material are Scott’s Specialty Gas or Airgas.  Check out their Technical information online or speak to a representative f rom the company that will supply the H2 to the lab.  Contacting these suppliers will probably get your specific questions answered quickly.< /o:p>

A second resource is the Hydrogen Association at htt p://www.hydrogenassociation.org/ and htt p://www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info/resources.asp< /p>

Note there are links to best practices, lab safety, fittings and tubing.  You’ll learn more a bout hydrogen gas safety than you ever thought to ask.

I’ve not had much success going the fire safety route, so am trying the chemical/lab safety listservs for help.  Please forgi ve the cross-posting.

We have 2 researchers who use or plan to use hydrogen gas in their labs.

One is a biology lab and I don’t yet know much a bout why and how the hydrogen is used, except that it appears to be being plumbe d into a tabletop “tent” approximately 4’ x 4’ x 4’.  The tent appears to be made of a clear plastic material.  I do not as yet know if it is static-resistant.

The other is a chemistry lab where the hydrogen will b e used to consume residual oxygen in an anaerobic chamber.  The approximately 1-lb tank will be secured to the bench and the researcher plans to plumb it himself with copper line.

Naturally I have some concerns about hydrogen being us ed in the lab.  I doubt there are safer substitutes in these cases, but if anyone knows of one, can you please share them?

Can anyone point me to specific safety guidelines I ca n share with these researchers?

Thanks in advance.

Mary M. Cavanaugh CIH

University Industrial Hygienist

Safety & Workers' Comp. Office

cavanaughmm**At_Symbol_Here**appstate . edu

(828) 262-6838 Direct

(828) 262-2936 Fax