Event
- Event ID
- 868
- Quality
- Description
- A fire occurred at a hydrogen dryer, which was probably part of the hydrogen system cooling the generator of the power plant (this is not mentioned by the source, but based on plant knowledge).
An employee was removing a sensor from one of the hydrogen dryers. As the employee began to unscrew the sensor, hydrogen gas leaked out, ignited and started a fire, causing one injury. - Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Fire (No additional details provided)
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- Main component involved?
- Joint/Connection (Threated)
- Initiating cause
- Inadequate Or No Purge
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Power Plant
- Sub-application
- coal-fired power plant
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- sensor, hydrogen dryer
- Location type
- Confined
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 1
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Post-event summary
- The employee was hospitalized to treat 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his right arm and hand, right ear and face.
- Official legal action
- A penalty of approximately 14,600 US$ was issued by OHSA.
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Presumed ignition source
- Not reported
References
- Reference & weblink
US OHSA Accident Summary Nr: 139168.015<br />
https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=139168… />
(accessed January 2026)
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- OHSA
