The Invisible Risks of Hydrogen: Why Safety Must Come First

By Martin Constable, Operations Director, EPIT Group

The global shift toward low-carbon energy is gathering pace — and Hydrogen is right at the centre of it. From mobility to heavy industry, Hydrogen is increasingly seen as the clean alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Yet behind the promise lies a simple truth:

Hydrogen is different. And if we treat it like every other fuel, we risk getting it dangerously wrong.

What makes Hydrogen exciting — its lightness, reactivity, and energy density — also makes it uniquely hazardous. As an industry, we must acknowledge that the transition to Hydrogen isn’t just about technology or infrastructure. It’s about people — and whether we’ve properly prepared them to handle this energy source safely.

What you can’t see can hurt you

Hydrogen presents several safety challenges that differ sharply from more familiar fuels like methane or gasoline:
1. Flames you can’t see
In daylight, Hydrogen flames are nearly invisible. They emit little smoke or radiant heat, making traditional visual cues unreliable in the event of a fire.
2. A flammability range like no other
Hydrogen ignites between 4% and 77% concentration in air — one of the widest of any fuel. It also requires just 0.02 millijoules of energy to ignite. That’s less than a static spark from your clothes.
3. Rapid dispersion and permeability
Hydrogen disperses quickly upwards, which can help in open environments — but it also leaks easily through seals, joints, and some materials. Its small molecular size makes it particularly insidious in enclosed or confined spaces.
4. Hidden material risks
Hydrogen causes embrittlement in many common engineering metals, weakening pipes, tanks, and fittings over time. Without understanding this, even robust systems can fail silently.

Lessons from Early Adoption

We don’t need to theorise about these risks — they’ve already played out in the real world.
Leaks at early hydrogen refuelling stations. Embrittled storage tanks. Fires that went unnoticed until the damage was done. These are not signs of negligence — they are evidence that the industry is still learning.

And in high-consequence environments, learning through incident is not acceptable.

As Hydrogen systems become more mainstream, we’re likely to see a broader range of personnel interacting with them: electricians, mechanical fitters, process operators, instrument techs — many of whom have built careers on legacy fuels. But familiarity with oil and gas doesn’t automatically translate to competence with hydrogen.

The Importance of a New Kind of Preparedness

It’s time to move beyond simply raising awareness. We must develop real-world competence in Hydrogen safety, particularly among those in high-risk operational roles.
That means:

• Understanding how hazardous zones are classified for Hydrogen.
• Knowing how to identify compatible materials and equipment.
• Recognising leak indicators in the absence of flame or odour.
• Being confident in the selection, installation, inspection, and maintenance of Ex certified equipment and systems in Hydrogen environments.

Hydrogen safety isn’t about applying the same playbook with a new label. It’s about building a new set of instincts, grounded in knowledge and backed by hands-on familiarity.

This preparedness cannot be left to theory alone. It must be structured, formalised, and verified. Because when things go wrong with Hydrogen, they go wrong quickly.

Culture, not just Compliance

At its core, Hydrogen safety is a cultural shift. It’s about embedding awareness, questioning assumptions, and empowering personnel to make informed decisions before hazards escalate. A safety system is only as strong as the people operating within it.

Investing in structured, standards-aligned training isn’t a regulatory box-tick — it’s a frontline defence. It’s what turns qualified technicians into truly competent ones.

Conclusion

The Hydrogen transition is here. But success isn’t just about building infrastructure — it’s about building capability. We must equip the workforce not just with tools, but with understanding.

The invisible nature of Hydrogen’s risks makes them easy to overlook, but the consequences of doing so could be anything but invisible.

Let’s not wait for an incident to teach us what we should have already known. Let’s teach it now — deliberately, proactively, and thoroughly.

Preparing your Workforce

At EPIT, we’re supporting this effort through structured training programmes designed specifically for working safely with hydrogen energy in industrial and hazardous environments.

To learn more, explore our Hydrogen Safety Awareness course — built for professionals who need to understand the risks and act with confidence.

For more information on The Invisible Risks of Hydrogen: Why Safety Must Come First talk to EPIT Group