In any safety data sheet from any gas supplier, you can see that hydrogen is identified as H220. This nomenclature translates to an extremely flammable gas, therefore having an intrinsic danger component. To put it into perspective, this danger component is like that of other gases, such as propane or the butane gas used in our homes.
However, in our society, this danger component associated with these types of gases is assimilated as something “common” in our surroundings. Nevertheless, it remains dangerous. At this point, we should ask ourselves why society is not alarmed by having a constant, nearby danger in our lives.
The answer is that the necessary measures are taken to reduce the risk to a tolerable level, tolerable by society.
Over several posts, we will attempt to apply the same reasoning to hydrogen, demonstrating how, with the appropriate safety measures, we can live with hydrogen among us just as we currently live with domestic gases around us.
The first measure has already been taken: identifying the danger, in this case, hydrogen. The next step is to see what the law requires us to comply with. For this, we will use European Directives and, specifically, their transposition into Spanish legal order in the form of Royal Decrees. Let’s see what Directive 99/92/EC states in its Article 1 Objective:
“To establish the minimum requirements for the protection and health of workers who may be at risk from explosive atmospheres in the workplace.”
On the other hand, the UNE-60079-10 standard defines an explosive atmosphere as:
“A mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gas or vapor which, after ignition, allows the sustained propagation of the flame.”
It can be concluded that Directive 99/92/EC is applicable, thus requiring the following:
- Article 4. Risk Assessment.
- Article 7. Classification of areas.
- Article 8. Preparation of an explosion protection document.
Once the danger is identified, the next step would be to conduct a risk assessment, which we will cover in future blog entries. For now, it is interesting to know that directives typically indicate the tasks to be carried out. However, most of them do not provide any procedure or methodology on how to carry out those tasks. This is where standards come into play. Therefore, standards are the tools we use to justify compliance with each of the requirements set by the directives.
Finally, to conclude this entry, it should be considered that compliance with the directive does not require the use of standards, as they are not mandatory unless explicitly mentioned in the text of a directive or a Royal Decree, or in any document that requires their compliance, such as a specification sheet.
In the case of so-called Harmonized Standards, although not mandatory, they provide a presumption of conformity with certain directives. Nevertheless, the use of standards is the best way to follow a methodological procedure and justify the measures taken.
As mentioned earlier, future entries will discuss how to conduct a risk assessment and how to carry out an area classification.
