4.3.2 Requirements specific to commercial/industrial premises

• The fuel cell and any associated equipment shall be suitably protected against unauthorised access, interference, vandalism or terrorist attack commensurate with the location and installation environment. Any security arrangements shall not compromise the requirement for effective ventilation.
• The fuel cell and associated equipment shall be suitably located to allow service, maintenance and fire department/emergency access and shall be supported, anchored and protected so that they will not be adversely affected by weather conditions (rain, snow, ice, freezing temperatures, wind, seismic events and lightning) or physical damage. Furthermore the placing of any components of the fuel cell system should not adversely affect required building exits, under normal operations or in emergencies.
• If practicable, the installation should be located in a normally unoccupied room built to appropriate fire-resistance standard and within an appropriate fire-resisting and non-combustible enclosure. Congestion, blockages and obstructions should be kept to an absolute minimum in the room as they may enhance flame acceleration in the event of an accident (Appendix A6).
• The room in which the fuel cell and associated equipment are located shall provide a minimum of 30 minutes fire-resistance and be fitted with a suitable fire detection and alarm system.
• The installation should not be located in areas that are used or are likely to be used for combustible, flammable or hazardous material storage;
• Any potential sources of ignition, such as non-flameproof electrical light fittings, should be located well below any equipment from which hydrogen may leak and not immediately below horizontal bulkheads or impervious ceilings under which hydrogen may accumulate;
• For workplaces it is a legal requirement, under the ATEX Workplace Directive [15], for the employer to prepare an explosion protection document that includes identification of the fire and explosion hazards, classification of areas where explosive atmospheres may exist, an evaluation of the risks and specification of measures to prevent or, where this is not possible, mitigate the effects of an ignition.
• All equipment (electrical or mechanical) within the identified hazardous zone shall be ATEX-compliant. Whenever reasonably practicable, the fuel cell and other hydrogen handling equipment shall be located at the highest level within the enclosure and physically isolated from any non-ATEX-compliant electrical equipment or other potential sources of ignition.
• Gas-tight compartments, bulkheads and ventilation should as far as possible be used to reduce the likelihood of leaking hydrogen reaching potential ignition sources.
• Unless compliant with the ATEX Equipment Directive [12], the installation should be located away from areas where potentially explosive atmospheres may be present;
• The ventilation exhaust or other sources of emission that may contain dangerous substances must be released to a safe place. An appropriate hazardous zone should be identified around any foreseeable release point;
• The following additional factors should be taken into account in assessing that the risk is acceptable and has been reduced to as low as is reasonably practicable: smoking permitted areas; uncontrolled public areas; security barriers; emergency exits.