Event
- Event ID
- 303
- Quality
- Description
While a LH2 barge was being disconnected from dock, a flash occurred in the vent stack. No damage occurred but potential existed for major damage.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- fire
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- -
- Component involved
- PRD (burst disc)
- Failure mode
- premature activation & venting
- Initiating cause
- material degradation (external corrosion)
- Root CAUSE analysis
The INITIATING CAUSE was the premature activation of a burst disc. The LH2 burst disk was found to have a series of pin holes which permitted gaseous hydrogen to enter the land vent line. An explosive mixture was formed when air entered the disconnected The ROOT CAUSE could be a manufacturing error or a lack of adequate inspection.
- Root causes
- Date entry in HIAD
- 30/10/2025
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen transport and distribution
- Sub-application
- Waterborne LH2 transport
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
barge, vent stack
- Process temperature range [C]
- cryogenic temperature (below -50°C)
- Process pressure range [MPa]
- low to medium pressure (below 2 MPa)
- Location type
- Open
- Location
- industrial area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
References
- Sources categories
- ORDIN
- Reference & weblink
Mishap no 19 in P. L. Ordin, Review of hydrogen accidents and incidents in NASA operations, 1974, NASA TM X-71565 https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19740020344
Hankinson and Lowesmith, Qualitative Risk Assessment of Hydrogen Liquefaction, Storage and Transportation, FCH JU project IDEALHY, Deliverable 3.10 (2013) confidential (accessed October 2025)
Lowesmith et al., Safety issues of the liquefaction, storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen: An analysis of incidents and HAZIDS, Int. J. Hydrogen energy (2014) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.08.002
