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Men are walking around, holding brooms, waiting for something to happen and hoping it won't. Explain.

Curling? Broomball?

Curling? Broomball? No to both.

Are the brooms actual brooms?
Are the men actually walking around? Do they know each other? Are they all in the same spot? Are they inside or outside? Are they fewer than 10? Than 100? Does each man hold a broom? Are they sweeping the floor?
Is there any more character involved?

Are they trying to prevent that something from happening by holding the brooms, or by doing something with them? Or is the happening something that they cannot control? Are they in danger?

Does this usually happen? Or is it happening for the first time? Is it relevant to find out where and when the whole thing is taking place?

Quidditch relevant?

Are the brooms actual brooms? Yes.
Are the men actually walking around? Yes. Do they know each other? Yes. Are they all in the same spot? Yes. Are they inside or outside? Inside. Are they fewer than 10? This - exact number irrelevant. Than 100? Does each man hold a broom? Yes. Are they sweeping the floor? No.
Is there any more character involved? Yes.

Are they trying to prevent that something from happening by holding the brooms, or by doing something with them? No. Or is the happening something that they cannot control? This. Are they in danger? Yes.

Does this usually happen? On a fairly regular basis. Or is it happening for the first time? Is it relevant to find out where and when the whole thing is taking place? Yes, though in a general sense only.

Quidditch relevant? No.

Are the men actual men or are they, say, characters of a novel, a movie, a TV-Series?
Are they in a house? In an office? In a church? Wild guess: in a submarine? Are they being held captive?
Would they be able to prevent the thing from happening in any way? When the thing will happen, will they die? All? some of them?
The thing that might happen: is it related to the weather? Water relevant?

Are the men actual men or are they, say, characters of a novel, a movie, a TV-Series? They're real people.
Are they in a house? In an office? In a church? Wild guess: in a submarine? Are they being held captive? None of these.
Would they be able to prevent the thing from happening in any way? No. When the thing will happen, will they die? All? some of them? No.
The thing that might happen: is it related to the weather? No. Water relevant? Yope, leaning toward no.

Are they in a hospital? In a stadium? In a prison? In a shop?
Are they janitors?
Are they going to prison when the thing happens? Are they getting fired?
Is someone else dying, when the thing happens?

Are they in a hospital? In a stadium? In a prison? In a shop? None of these.
Are they janitors? No.
Are they going to prison when the thing happens? Are they getting fired? Neither.
Is someone else dying, when the thing happens? No.

About the danger:
Is it a person? Something carried by a person? News reported by someone?

Are they in a house? Are they using brooms for a specific reason? Or could they have taken any other item?
Are they performing any sort of rite?

Even though the happening cannot be avoided does holding a broom lesson the impact? Electricity relevant? Any animals? Have they misunderstood something or are they correct in using the broom? Would a mop perform the same function? A vacuum cleaner?

Are the brooms for cleaning?
Do the men intend to use the brooms after this event occurs?
Have the brooms been used already?

About the danger:
Is it a person? No. Something carried by a person? No. News reported by someone? No.

Are they in a house? No. Are they using brooms for a specific reason? Yes. Or could they have taken any other item? There are probably others that would serve for the purpose.Are they performing any sort of rite? No, but you've got the right idea.

Even though the happening cannot be avoided does holding a broom lessen the impact? Yes. Electricity relevant? No. Any animals? No. Have they misunderstood something No. or are they correct in using the broom? Yes. Would a mop perform the same function? No. A vacuum cleaner? No.
Do the men intend to use the brooms after this event occurs? Irr.
Have the brooms been used already? Irr.

While the brooms may be used repeatedly, it is possible that they may only be used once.

Could this have happened outside even though in this particular scenario it's inside?

Is the term in danger defining something innocuous like "danger of losing a sport or game"? Or are they in physical danger, possibly life threatening? Or something serious like "danger of losing one's home?

Are they fanning flames? Trying to extinguish something?

Would this usually occur with a certain type of broom? If so Push? Kitchen? Curling Broom?

Could this have happened outside even though in this particular scenario it's inside? Yes.

Is the term in danger defining something innocuous like "danger of losing a sport or game"? No. Or are they in physical danger, possibly life threatening? Yes. Or something serious like "danger of losing one's home? This.

Are they fanning flames? Trying to extinguish something? No to both, but relevant.

Would this usually occur with a certain type of broom? If so Push? Kitchen? This. most likely. Curling Broom?

Hey Jenburdoo, you missed one of my questions earlier.

Are the brooms used for cleaning?

Hey Jenburdoo, you missed one of my questions earlier. Sorry 'bout that.

Are the brooms used for cleaning? No.

Do the men intend make something else out of the brooms? Disguise themselves? Hide? Have they one broom each? If only one person was there with only one broom would this work?

Do the men intend make something else out of the brooms? No. Disguise themselves? No. Hide? No. Have they one broom each? Yes. If only one person was there with only one broom would this work? Probably, but with more risk involved.

Do the broom have to made from a certain material ? Wood? Plastic? Have they brought the brooms with them or were they already in place? Did someone give them a broom? Are they improvising with what's to hand? Carrying something? Lifting something heavy?

Are the brooms being used in the air? If so primarily vertically? or horizontally?.
Are the brooms useful if they touch the ground in any fashion?
When the brooms are used are they stationary relative to the person who holding it? Or is it moving about? If so radically? or in a fixed pattern? Circular? Back and Forth?

Is the other "character involved" mentioned earlier a person? A baby?
Someone with Heatstroke, hot day no AC fever?

Do the broom have to made from a certain material ? Part of it does, although a range of materials is possible even then. Wood? Assume this. Plastic? Have they brought the brooms with them or were they already in place? Assume they were already there. Did someone give them a broom? Assume yes. Are they improvising with what's to hand? Yesish. Carrying something? No. Lifting something heavy? No.

Are the brooms being used in the air? Yes. If so primarily vertically? or horizontally? Both, see below.
Are the brooms useful if they touch the ground in any fashion? Possibly.
When the brooms are used are they stationary relative to the person who holding it? No. Good question. Or is it moving about? Yes. If so radically? Possibly. or in a fixed pattern? Assume yes. Circular? Back and Forth? Could be circular, back and forth or both.

Is the other "character involved" mentioned earlier a person? Yes. A baby? No.
Someone with Heatstroke, hot day no AC fever? No to all.

Are the trying to fan air? to reduce the presence of something toxic/harmful?

Are any of these relevant - Smoke detector? A living thing other than human (including things like viruses/mold)? Smoke? Dust? or something airborne besides the brooms? Water sprinkler? Ceiling? Outer space? Cold Region? Hot Region?

Does this only happen in certain region(s) of the world? All 7 continents? Minus Antarctica?

Are they in a building? Cave/naturally made area? Will it help us to know the particular type of structure/thing they are inside? Or is it more generic?

Are they trying to fan air? No. to reduce the presence of something toxic/harmful? Ultimately, yes.

Are any of these relevant - Smoke detector? No. A living thing other than human (including things like viruses/mold)? No. Smoke? No. Dust? No. or something airborne besides the brooms? DOYD of "airborne". Water sprinkler? No. Ceiling? No. Outer space? Yes. Cold Region? No. Hot Region? No.

Does this only happen in certain region(s) of the world? All 7 continents? Minus Antarctica? It could happen in any of a small class of locations; I believe they are present in every continent except Antarctica.

Are they in a building? Yes, though I suspect it could occur outside as well. Cave/naturally made area? Will it help us to know the particular type of structure/thing they are inside? Yes. Or is it more generic? It's more a class of buildings than a specifically named one, though chances are you have heard of at least one.

Are they scientists?
Are they pacing?

Insects relevant? Stinging insects? A bee swarm? Other flying animals? Will the brooms be used for swatting? For wafting away something? Is something specific happening that risks triggering the danger?

Are they scientists? No.
Are they pacing? Yes.

Insects relevant? Stinging insects? A bee swarm? Other flying animals? No to all. Will the brooms be used for swatting? No. For wafting away something? No. Is something specific happening that risks triggering the danger? Yes.

Do the men have something in common? Something physical? medical? membership of an organisation? Are they only in the location to ward off this danger or were they there for another reason.

Will the brooms touch something? Something in the air? Something solid? Liquid? Gaseous? Something bigger than: a gnat? A fly? A marble? A golf ball? A tennis ball? A soccer ball? A microwave? Will the brooms be used to make something change direction? To scare something? Animal(s) involved?

Do the men have something in common? Yes. Something physical? medical? membership of an organisation? This, primarily. Are they only in the location to ward off this danger For the purposes of the puzzle, yes. or were they there for another reason. They have a more general reason to be present.

Will the brooms touch something? Yes. Something in the air? Yes. Something solid? Liquid? Gaseous? This, with an ish. Something bigger than: a gnat? A fly? A marble? A golf ball? A tennis ball? A soccer ball? A microwave? Impossible to answer. Will the brooms be used to make something change direction? No. To scare something? No. Animal(s) involved? No.

Are they looking for a high pressure steam leak, or similar?
This sort of thing: http://www.usscochrane.org/ddg14/index.php?topic=55.0

Are they looking for a high pressure steam leak, or similar?
This sort of thing: http://www.usscochrane.org/ddg14/index.php?topic=55.0

You're on the right track, but it's not a steam leak.

(Pretty amazing find, Galfisk!)

Gaseousish: vapor? Dust? Plasma? Radiation? Laser beams? Other beams? Will the brooms react somehow when touching it? If so, will they: explode? Catch fire? Smoke? Become illuminated? Vibrate? Break?

Gaseousish: Rechecking the definition, just gas with maybe a little plasma. vapor? Dust? Plasma? Radiation? Laser beams? Other beams? None of the others. Will the brooms react somehow when touching it? Yes. If so, will they: explode? Catch fire? This. Smoke? Irr. Become illuminated? Vibrate? Break? None of the others.

Will they catch fire becuse the gasish is: hot? Corrosive? Oxidizing? Hot? Moving at high velocity? Chemically reactive with broom materials?
Is the gasish a waste product? A working fluid? Is it leaking? Does it make a relevant noise? Can it be seen? Smelled? Is it the product of a chemical reaction? If so: a wanted one? An unwanted one? Is electricity involved? Ozone?
Are the men walking through regular air? Is this happening in an industrial setting?

Will they catch fire becuse the gasish Just a gas, really. is: Corrosive? Oxidizing? This, primarily. Hot? Also this at some point. Moving at high velocity? Chemically reactive with broom materials? None of the others.
Is the gasish a waste product? A working fluid? This. Is it leaking? Could be. Does it make a relevant noise? No. Can it be seen? No. Smelled? No. Is it the product of a chemical reaction? No. If so: a wanted one? An unwanted one? Is electricity involved? Might be. Ozone? No.Are the men walking through regular air? Yes. Is this happening in an industrial setting? Sort of.

Is the gas pure oxygen? An oxygen-nitrogen compound? Is it a rocket propellant? Rocket exhaust? Is it heavier than air? Will the bristles catch fire? Are the bristles set aglow before waving the brooms around? (this would detect pure oxygen and other mild oxidizers)
Is the gas toxic? Flammable? Explosive? Suffocating? Is it happening in a military setting? Aerospace setting? Onboard a craft? If so: sub? Ship? Aircraft? Spacecraft? Or near any of the above?

Is the gas pure oxygen? No. An oxygen-nitrogen compound? No. Is it a rocket propellant? Yes. Rocket exhaust? Not sure, irr. Is it heavier than air? No. Will the bristles catch fire? Yes. Are the bristles set aglow before waving the brooms around? (this would detect pure oxygen and other mild oxidizers) No.
Is the gas toxic? In the form of suffocation, yes. Flammable? Yes. Explosive? In combination with other things. Suffocating? Yes. Is it happening in a military setting? Aerospace setting? This. Onboard a craft? If so: sub? Ship? Aircraft? Spacecraft? Or near any of the above? Yes, spacecraft specifically.

So they're waving brooms around in order to find out if a specific gas is present, and if it is the brooms will catch fire. Correct?
Do we need to know more about: the men? The brooms? The spacecraft? The gas itself? How the suspicion that the gas may be present in the air came to be? Is NASA involved? The US? Russians?

So they're waving brooms around in order to find out if a specific gas is present, and if it is the brooms will catch fire. Correct? Yep.
Do we need to know more about: the men? The brooms? The spacecraft? You don't need to know about the craft itself, but it is intimately involved in this operation. The gas itself? This. How the suspicion that the gas may be present in the air came to be? Is NASA involved? Yes. The US? Yes. Russians? No, though it probably happened to them too.

Is the gas a single element? A chemical compound? Does it contain/consist of: fluorine? Chlorine? Oxygen? Boron? Hydrogen? Nitrogen? Carbon? Sulfur? Silicon? Phosphorus? Another nonmetal? A metal?
Is the Apollo program relevant? The shuttle program? Gemini? Mercury?

Is the gas a single element? This. A chemical compound? Does it contain/consist of: fluorine? Chlorine? Oxygen? Boron? Hydrogen? This. Nitrogen? Carbon? Sulfur? Silicon? Phosphorus? Another nonmetal? A metal?
Is the Apollo program relevant? Yes, though this happened in other programs too. The shuttle program? Gemini? Mercury?

Did the hydrogen come from a tank? Vat? Pipe? Hose? Nozzle? Is a filling operation relevant? Draining operation? Transport? Has something gone wrong? Is there a suspicion that something has gone wrong? Is the hydrogen originally liquid? Pressurized gas?

Did the hydrogen come from a tank? This. Vat? Pipe? Hose? Nozzle? Is a filling operation relevant? Yes. Draining operation? Transport? It can happen during all of these and from other sources, but for the purposes of this puzzle is more specific. Has something gone wrong? Possibly. Is there a suspicion that something has gone wrong? Yes. Is the hydrogen originally liquid? Yes. Pressurized gas?

You're quite close to solution.

Is this one of the creative ways a problem was solved on the Apollo 13 mission? They built a pretty cool filter to reduce the CO2 level using odds and ends they had in the spacecraft.

Is this a similar type thing?

Is this one of the creative ways a problem was solved on the Apollo 13 mission? They built a pretty cool filter to reduce the CO2 level using odds and ends they had in the spacecraft.

Is this a similar type thing?

While this procedure was probably followed before the launch of Apollo 13, it is not occurring during the mission.

Is a rocket being filled with cryogenic liquid hydrogen? Is a tanker being filled for transport? Is a stationary tank being filled? Is this procedure followed for all filling operations? Is liquid hydrogen also being manufactured at the moment?

Is a rocket being filled with cryogenic liquid hydrogen? Yes. Is a tanker being filled for transport? No. Is a stationary tank being filled? No. Is this procedure followed for all filling operations? Yes. Is liquid hydrogen also being manufactured at the moment? No.

Spoiler:

Hydrogen catches fire easily and burns invisibly (smoke and color come when it is contaminated with metals, paint, etc, as with the Hindenburg). When early rockets were fueled with liquid hydrogen, there were no sensors that could detect this. If there was a leak in the tank, the only way to detect it, and to protect the technicians from walking into invisible flames, was to wave brooms around in midair as you walked slowly around, sort of like prodding the ground for mines. If a broom caught fire, a stream of hydrogen was coming out of the tank opposite and burning as it combined with oxygen - it could be safely detected and repaired.

A low tech solution to a high tech problem. Cool story, nice puzzle!