Competency Standards for Emerging Hydrogen Related Activities

We are developing two hydrogen safety classes each respectively directed to laboratory researchers and technical operators. Laboratory researchers who need basic hydrogen safety information may now benefit from a 4-hour web-based hydrogen safety class (free online access at http://www.h2labsafety.org/) addressing hydrogen fundamentals: properties, pressure and cryogenic safety, emergency response and codes and standards. Technical operators in charge of building and testing experimental hydrogen equipment will also soon benefit from a more comprehensive 3-day hands-on safety class that will present detailed information for installation, testing and operation of hydrogen pressurized systems. The hands-on class includes a full day of classroom instruction followed by two days of laboratory work where students assemble, test and operate a pressure system based on a system schematic and component description. We strongly encourage participation of the hydrogen community to improve the technical and educational aspects of the classes by providing feedback and comments.

2015

The rapid evolution of information related to hydrogen safety is multidimensional ranging from developing codes and standards to CFD simulations and experimental studies of hydrogen releases to a variety of risk assessment approaches. This information needs to be transformed into system design, risk decision-making and first responder tools for use by hydrogen community stakeholders. The Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance (CTFCA) has developed HySTARtm, an interactive Hydrogen Safety, Training And Risk System. The HySTARtm user interacts with a Web-based 3-D graphical user interface to input hydrogen system configurations. The system includes a Codes and Standards Expert System that identifies the applicable codes and standards in a number of national jurisdictions that apply to the facility and its components. A Siting Compliance and Planning Expert System assesses compliance with clearance distance requirements in these jurisdictions. Incorporating the results of other CTF...

The rapid evolution of information related to hydrogen safety is multidimensional ranging from developing codes and standards to CFD simulations and experimental studies of hydrogen releases to a variety of risk assessment approaches. This information needs to be transformed into system design, risk decision-making and first responder tools for use by hydrogen community stakeholders. The Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance (CTFCA) has developed HySTARtm, an interactive Hydrogen Safety, Training And Risk System. The HySTARtm user interacts with a Web-based 3-D graphical user interface to input hydrogen system configurations. The system includes a Codes and Standards Expert System that identifies the applicable codes and standards in a number of national jurisdictions that apply to the facility and its components. A Siting Compliance and Planning Expert System assesses compliance with clearance distance requirements in these jurisdictions. Incorporating the results of other CTF...

Hydrogen is widely produced and used in the process industries with growing use in the public domain. While the former area of focus would obviously necessitate process safety considerations, the latter involves activities such as transportation in which occupational safety issues for individuals are paramount. The current research addresses this issue by identifying several areas of application in the hydrogen economy for three key process safety concepts: (i) inherently safer design, (ii) safety management systems, and (iii) the use of case studies. This paper thus illustrates, by means of referenced examples, the transferable nature of key process safety concepts to various features of the emerging hydrogen economy. The primary thesis of this work is the notion that inherently safety design principles, safety management systems, and lessons learned from case histories have broader implications for safety than would be apparent by restricting their use solely to the process indust...

Applications in Energy and Combustion Science

Hydrogen's unique physicochemical and combustion properties make it stand out among fuels as new hydrogen production technologies, means of transportation, and consumers emerge. The future viability of these technological solutions will depend on numerous factors, including safety, environmental, regulatory, and economic considerations. Safe deployment of these technologies requires additional research and development activities. These range from an improved quantitative understanding of hydrogen leaks, material limitations due to embrittlement, very large-volume liquefied hydrogen storage and transport, to equipment-and usage-specific considerations as is the case for gas turbines and electrolyzers.

Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2023

The transition to a clean hydrogen economy is an important part of global decarbonization strategies, with prospects for sustainable energy systems and economic development.) In this study, we examine a new potential pathway for workforce development in the clean hydrogen sector, drawing on evidence from the skills gap, equity, and industrial management literature. We used a mixedmethods approach combining interviews with stakeholders, systematic literature review, and secondary data analysis to assess global workforce readiness, graduation rates and gender balance, and uptake of training by region. Key findings include: Major skills shortages – especially the manufacturing of electrolyzers, the engineering of hydrogen storage systems and the maintenance of fuel cells (72% of stakeholders indicated technical skills as the main gap). Gender and equity issues remain: Women and underrepresented groups make up just 28% of the workforce. Geographical gaps are apparent within the rankings, where Europe and North America lead in further training programs, but the gaps in Africa and South America evident. Examples include Germany's "H2 Talent Hub," a collaborative approach which shows the impact of using publicprivate partnerships to tackle workforce gaps and transfer knowledge. Thus the discussion will highlight the necessity and importance of implementing models that focus on competencies, licensed policies that advance equity, and partnerships among stakeholders to forge a highly skilled and inclusive workforce. Addressing equity barriers will require action, including scholarships, mentorship programs and hiring practices focused on diversity. Public awareness campaigns and customized educational initiatives are needed, too, to build a more informed citizenry and prepared workforce. The study finds that a holistic, peoplecentered approach is critical to the successful rollout of clean hydrogen technologies. Major recommendations include curriculums that align with industry needs, equityoriented workforce policies, and international cooperation. Further studies could shed light on the longterm implications of corporate action in this area and present specific challenges encountered in the developing world, which will be needed for a fair transition to a hydrogen economy.

Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 2022

The clean hydrogen economy is pivotal in achieving global sustainability targets, yet its success hinges not only on technological advancements but also on workforce readiness. This study investigates skills gaps, education programs, public awareness, and workforce diversity within the clean hydrogen sector. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining stakeholder surveys, policy reviews, and workforce data analysis from 2015-2022 across key global regions. Results highlight significant technical expertise gaps (72%) and uneven geographic distribution of hydrogen education programs, with Europe (55 programs) and North America (40 programs) leading, while Africa and South America lag behind. Public awareness of hydrogen technologies remains low (15% high awareness), underscoring the need for targeted campaigns. Workforce diversity remains a challenge, with only 20% women and 8% underrepresented groups in the sector.The discussion emphasizes the importance of targeted upskilling, equitable education resource allocation, public engagement campaigns, and stakeholder collaborations, as demonstrated by Germany's "H2 Talent Hub." Policy initiatives strongly correlate with workforce readiness, suggesting the necessity of supportive governance to drive workforce development. The study concludes that a people-centric approach is critical to bridging the gap between innovation and adoption in the clean hydrogen sector. Recommendations include implementing hydrogen-specific curricula, enhancing public awareness programs, fostering diversity and inclusion, and encouraging cross-sectoral collaborations to build robust talent pipelines. Future research should evaluate the long-term impacts of these initiatives to ensure a sustainable and equitable transition to a hydrogen-powered future.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2017

Hydrogen fuels are being deployed around the world as an alternative to traditional petrol and battery technologies. As with all fuels, regulations, codes and standards are a necessary component of the safe deployment of hydrogen technologies. There has been a focused effort in the international hydrogen community to develop codes and standards based on strong scientific principles to accommodate the relatively rapid deployment of hydrogen-energy systems. The need for science-based codes and standards has revealed the need to advance our scientific understanding of hydrogen in engineering environments. This brief review describes research and development activities with emphasis on scientific advances that have aided the advancement of hydrogen regulations, codes and standards for hydrogen technologies in four key areas: (1) the physics of high-pressure hydrogen releases (called hydrogen behavior); (2) quantitative risk assessment; (3) hydrogen compatibility of materials; and (4) hydrogen fuel quality.

Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability, 2019

Growth in the hydrogen and fuel cell industries will lead to vast new employment opportunities, and these will be created in a wide variety of industries, skills, tasks, and earnings. Many of these jobs do not currently exist and do not have occupational titles defined in official classifications. In addition, many of these jobs require different skills and education than current jobs, and training requirements must be assessed so that this rapidly growing part of the economy has a sufficient supply of trained and qualified workers. We discuss the current hydrogen economy and technologies. We then identify by occupational titles the new jobs that will be created in the expanding hydrogen/fuel cell economy, estimate the average US salary for each job, identify the minimum educational attainment required to gain entry into that occupation, and specify the recommended university degree for the advanced educational requirements. We provide recommendations for further research.

2015

Placing hydrogen at public fueling stations and using it in vehicles has created a need for new safety requirements. These requirements reside in several documents and are addressed in the Regulations, Codes, and Standards section of this document. This document is organized into the following seven sections: • Introduction