Hydrogen Safety and Awareness Training

SERC Director Dr. Peter Lehman and Senior Research Engineer Jim Zoellick recently provided a hydrogen safety and awareness training to staff and safety officials at the State University of New York at Buffalo. SUNY Buffalo just received two hydrogen powered Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles and a portable refueling appliance from Quantum Technologies. The project is funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

SERC provided safety and code review services for SUNY Buffalo’s proposed refueling installation. SERC also conducted a very successful three-hour safety and awareness training. According to Paul Hoffman, the maintenance department manager at SUNY Buffalo, his crew was very concerned about handling hydrogen vehicles. In fact, they had gone to their union steward and asked whether they could be forced to fuel the vehicles. However, following the SERC training Paul said his crew was very enthusiastic and had no problems fueling and handling the vehicles. One of the points we stress in our trainings is that if hydrogen is handled properly, it is no more dangerous than other transportation fuels we are accustomed to using. We think they got it.