Project tasks that include "life safety" and involve safety systems, controls, interlocks, alarms, etc., can be a pretty complicated field to navigate, and small problems (Can my hood remove all the hydrogen that could leak out?) can't be considered in a vacuum.
Some things worth considering, some redundancy to
@256bits thoughts :
-What was the original design basis for the hood? Is the design adequate for use before adding a hydrogen leak to its capabilities? Is the hood design suitable for the presence of significant amounts of hydrogen (no ignition sources)? Is the hood configuration such that it is unlikely to trap hydrogen in places?
-Does this hood have other uses at the same time?
-Is it normally occupied by person(s), and what level of PPE do they wear?
-Are there hydrogen leak detectors in the hood? Should there be? What type? Calibrated how frequently?
-If the power to the lab shuts off, what happens to the hydrogen/hood system?
-What is the source of the hydrogen? Is it large enough to fill the room (or the building) if the hood stops working? Could the leak cause the hydrogen source some type of problem?
-Should there be an interlock/shutdown when a leak is detected? What all, specifically should be shut down? What order should they be shut down? When I do this, does this cause any other new problems that weren't there before? Are there other chemicals, reactions, testing in the same vicinity that could have incompatible materials present?
-Will there be preventive maintenance to verify the hood performs as it should?
-Will this require re-training of affected personnel?
While some concerns seem a little excessive, others probably are not, and you should be considering the larger picture, weighing things appropriately.
Here in the US, I would encourage someone who is out of their element on these issues to look into the following:
1) Contact the supplier of the hydrogen. Manufacturers under the Responsible Care standard will provide some degree of guidance, training, etc. on the safe use of their chemicals. This guidance could include auditing an installation or an installation plan. A hydrogen supplier will be current on SDS and engineering controls technology. This is likely to be your best resource if they are a large supplier. If your current supplier can't provide this, it may be worth considering an alternate, if possible.
2) Contact someone at your company or institution who is responsible for questions about insured risk. There is usually an insurance representative/agent/inspector that could provide guidance. They will have a stake in bringing in a new risk, as it could affect insurance requirements.
If these are unsuccessful, it may be time to call an engineering company that can bring some expertise.
