Today's fear of hydrogen can be
explained by the limited experience and knowledge about hydrogen in the
general public. No-one is concerned about handling petrol at a service
station, despite the fact that it is both poisonous and explosive. Safe
handling of hydrogen in the industry has already been achieved for decades.
Enormous amounts of hydrogen are used, for instance in space rockets, but
none of the serious accidents were caused or made worse by hydrogen. The
"explosion" of the Hindenburg airship in 1937 can also not be
blamed on hydrogen leakage as initially assumed (see History for
more).
Hydrogen does not smell and
burns with an almost invisible flame. The combustion (radiation) heat is
much less than from the combustion of hydrocarbons. Hydrogen also burns much
faster. Thus, the damage from a hydrogen fire should be less serious than
from other fuels. Furthermore, hydrogen is mixed quickly with air to
non-dangerous ratios. If a leak should occur, the chances of an explosion
are small if proper ventilation is assured. No toxicological or ecological
effects of hydrogen have been identified to date, but, the long-term effects
on people and the environment are of course not yet known. Nevertheless, the
change from today's use of fossil fuels to hydrogen can only be
positive.
Hydrogen can be handled
safely when guidelines for its safe storage, handling and use are observed.
It is important to remember that hydrogen is a fuel. To be a fuel it must
have combustible properties. Planned and/or already available hydrogen
regulations demand the same caution as should be given to any fuel, and some
precautions which are unique to hydrogen.