FEATURE


improving our understanding of the unique risks imposed by the use of EV batteries and storage of carbon and other elements such as hydrogen. As an example, we’ll focus largely on hydrogen.


The hydrogen economy is widely considered to be an essential part of the UK’s future energy independence and security, as well as our commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050, so improving education and awareness of hydrogen safety will be critical for operators handling hydrogen equipment for storage and transportation and, will require collaboration between industry and academia.


For this reason, we have been working with the University of Aberdeen for many years, both supporting their students’ understanding of the safety risks and also working to keep these same students safe when conducting research in the lab and when using gases such as hydrogen. We believe that collaboration of this kind is vitally important to support the development of safety strategies in industry, and transparent communication to the public to help establish a successful and safe hydrogen economy.


It is therefore crucial to recognise the safety hazards that accompany new technology. For example, when it comes to handling, storing and transporting hydrogen, safety protocols are critical, and the establishment of standardised and recognised safety standards is essential.


“IN 2020 THE RATE OF LOST TIME TO INJURIES IN OFFSHORE RENEWABLES WAS FOUR TIMES AS HIGH AS IN OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS.”


In parallel to developments in new energy sources, there are also advances being made in technology to secure the safety of employees and other assets. This is particularly relevant in hazardous environments where gases such as hydrogen are not only highly flammable but also colourless and odourless, posing an enhanced risk of fire or explosion.


In these situations, improvements in connectivity offer a number of key benefits, including live monitoring of gas levels, with key information displayed in real time via a connected user interface. This digitalisation of safety systems means that alarms can be set, ventilation automatically activated and if required, emergency services can be granted access to the data which allows them to manage an emergency situation in the case of, for example, a hydrogen-generated fire.


Furthermore, businesses can add an extra layer of monitoring to a standard gas detection solution by using complementary sensor devices such as acoustic and flame detection. Doing so can safeguard valuable company and plant equipment and may also prevent a catastrophic fire or explosion.


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Another technological advancement that has been prompted by the use of new fuels, such as hydrogen, is the implementation of acoustic gas detectors as a supplementary technology. These allow for the detection of gas leaks emanating from pressurised gas storage, particularly in outdoor or ventilated locations where conventional detectors may fail to pick up on leaks due to wind conditions, gas dilution, or leak directionality. These ultrasonic acoustic sensors respond earlier than traditional gas detectors by registering the sound of leaking gas, effectively ‘hearing’ the gas leak. In doing so, acoustic detectors don’t require or rely on any physical contact between the gas and the sensor, enabling coverage of a much wider area, and detecting leaks up to 20 metres away. Importantly, they are not gas-specific so can be used to detect leaks of any gas type.


These detectors can be particularly effective when it comes to hydrogen. Hydrogen molecules are around eight times smaller than methane molecules, which makes leaks are far more likely and because it burns with a flame that is almost invisible to the naked eye and is odourless, it is more difficult to detect. However, the use of acoustic detection of leaks greatly reduces the risk of explosion, minimises the financial cost of leaks and is particularly effective in settings where hydrogen is stored.


As far back as 2020, a report by trade union Prospect stated that in 2020 the rate of lost time to injuries in offshore renewables was four times as high as in offshore oil and gas, itself a high hazard industry.


It is notable that one of the key themes raised in the 2021 Safety at Work report published by Dräger around the topic, revealed concerns that safety protocols and regulations in the UK’s renewable energy sector were failing to keep pace with the broader speed of progress within the sector.


There are however some encouraging signs that as the renewable sector grows, it is beginning to recognise the fundamental importance of safety. Independent research carried in 2022 showed that 82% of the UK’s new and renewable energy sector workforce think safety has increased in importance within their business compared to the previous year.


The combination of greater awareness of safety issues, at the same time as improvements in technology which provide additional protection, should be at least partly encouraging for the wellbeing of those who operate in the renewables section. There is still much work to be done, however, in improving universal awareness of safety in the renewables and low carbon sector; understanding and mitigating these safety considerations and in establishing standardised safety protocols for renewable energy.


This is an area on which we continue to focus, working with those at the forefront of advances in the sector, such as academic specialists, to further enhance safety equipment and to keep pace with innovations in the renewable and low carbon industries, hereby supporting the process of the energy transition.


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