Safety - IIAR

Safety

Three Questions to Consider for a Good Inspection Plan

In an age of proliferating diagnostic tools, visual inspections are still needed, and equally important, an inspection plan a facility can follow. And while IIAR – 6 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Closed‑Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems provides a starting point, system owners must develop a complete plan. “There are no Cliff Notes for IIAR-6, though there is a huge opportunity for teams that lean on the standard – it is a tool in their quiver,” said Suzy Vohsen Bos, Director, Marketing and Client Services of Gamma Graphics Services and the instructor of IIAR’s latest webinar, The Nitty Gritty of Visual Inspections.

Safety

Don’t Overlook Mechanical Integrity

Smaller facilities are starting to pay more attention to mechanical integrity, as it remains one of the most cited violation types. Adding to the pressure on facilities to renew focus on mechanical integrity, IIAR 6‑2019: Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Closed‑Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems was adopted into the 2024 edition of model codes as the minimum requirement for ITM (Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance) standard for ammonia refrigeration systems, regardless of the system charge.

Safety

Lesson Learned: Where Are You?

Is it helpful, sometimes even really important to know how things are going? The answer is yes! If you don’t audit, check, measure, and/or observe what’s happening you may end up with results you didn’t expect or want. A correction might take a significant effort depending on what is happening and how much time passes between your observations.

Safety

The Importance of Awareness

Are you aware of changes that happen around you? When a smell changes, or a sound changes, etc. are you so focused on your work or another activity that you don’t even notice? There are five primary senses. Smell, hearing, sight, taste, and touch. However, we actually have considerably more. Researchers have identified approximately 22 to 33 different senses. These additional senses are internal and specialized senses like balance, temperature, pain, proprioception, etc. As we become more aware of the many inputs we have, we can be better equipped to make good decisions.

Safety

Safe Work Practices (SWPs) for End User Operators & Technicians of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems

Safe Work Practices(s) are critical for operating and maintaining closed-circuit ammonia refrigeration systems. Developing safe working practices is not just good for workers’ well-being, it is also good for business. The loss of systems’ functionality because of accidents, and the loss of employees’ skills because of injury is costly. It is far more fruitful to spend time to develop and practice safe work than to recover from accidents. Further, the development and engagement of safe work practices is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions and is broadly required in some countries.

Safety

RSES Releases Fourth Edition of Hydrocarbon Refrigerants Study Guide

The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society said it has released a fourth edition of its Hydrocarbon Refrigerants study guide, exam and eLearning course through the RSES online store. RSES said the materials cover the most recent practices for refrigerant families including HC R-290 (propane); HC R-600a (isobutene); HC R-441A (a blend); HC R-170 (ethane); HFC R-32 (difluoromethane); and HFC R-454B.

Safety

EPA Newsletter Issues RMP Deadlines Reminder

According to a reminder notification released by the Environmental Protection Agency in an EPA newsletter, P2/P3 RMP facilities need to conduct a notification drill by the end of this year. “Responding P2/P3 facilities need to conduct your first tabletop exercise by the end of 2026. In conducting these tasks, you should be working with your local emergency planning committees (LEPCs)-do you know who your LEPC is? Has your facility been working and meeting with your LEPC? This is the perfect time to start and be a partner with emergency management in your community,” the EPA said in the reminder.

Safety

Compliance Assurance and Enforcement Focus

The following fact sheet was published by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 to communicate details about the Region 10 compliance initiative for facilities under 10,000 pounds of ammonia. It is reproduced here for the benefit of IIAR members and non-members with facilities under 10,000 pounds of ammonia.

Safety

Calibration Technologies Attends IIAR Guadalajara Conference

Calibration Technologies said it attended this year’s IIAR CAPÍTULO MÉXICO Refrigeración Industrial Conference in Guadalajara Mexico. Representing the company at the IIAR event were CTI employees Mike Cusanno and Miguel Lopez. The company said in a statement that ”CTI is excited to participate in IIAR’s international events. As nations around the globe are working towards lower emissions by adopting natural refrigerants, IIAR is providing the much-needed safety standards and CTI is providing gas detectors for NH3, CO2, and hydrocarbons.”

Safety

Assessing and Mitigating Risk

Managing risk is an important part of any business, but especially for those that work with refrigerants, which can create a safety hazard if they aren’t handled properly. However, the best ways to manage and estimate risk aren’t always clear cut.

Safety

OSHA Announces New Emphasis Program Targeting Warehouses and Distribution Centers

On July 13th, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new national emphasis program (NEP) targeting workplace hazards in warehouses, processing facilities distribution centers, and high-risk retail establishments.

Safety

Understanding

Have you ever thought about your understanding of the equipment and tools we use as well as the entire refrigeration system(s)? Many times, or maybe all of the time we assume we or someone else understands until something happens. This may be like the definition of confidence I have heard, which is “That feeling you get just before you understand the situation.”

Safety

OSHA Nears Completion of Final Rule on Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Requirements

On April 7, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) submitted its latest injury and illness recordkeeping proposal to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Submission to OIRA usually marks the last step in the rulemaking process before a Final Rule is published. Injury and illness recordkeeping has been the subject of regulatory attention by the last three administrations.

Safety

Lesson Learned: Bad Decommissioning Mistake

I am sure that many of us have seen ammonia refrigeration systems that have operated for several decades, with equipment and system components functioning well past recommended operating life. This is a credit to manufacturers, installers, service technicians, and operators. Aging equipment and piping at some point will eventually require replacement. Or the system or portion of it may be decommissioned due to a business discussion. Due to various conditions, it may become necessary to decommission a system or portions of it, which is defined in ANSI/ IIAR 8- 2020 – Decommissioning of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems as: “The permanent deactivation of a closed-circuit refrigeration system.”

Safety

Identifying Hazards Using Appropriate Assessment Techniques

The United States EPA National Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program implemented several national compliance initiatives (NCIs) effective for FY2020-2023. One of these NCIs is titled “Reducing Risks of Accidental Releases at Industrial and Chemical Facilities”. IIAR has received notice from the EPA and several end-users that one area of their focus is to determine whether facilities using hazardous chemicals have conducted a hazard analysis.

Safety

IIAR’s Global Reach Promotes Standards, Safety and Education Worldwide

As a global organization with members across the world, IIAR gives members the opportunity to learn from those with different experiences and points of view as well as improve the overall safety of the industrial refrigeration industry.

Safety

Awareness and Attention

Being aware and paying attention to what’s around you, where you are, and what’s happening can be really important. Sometimes for whatever reason, we miss something that we may be looking right at, hearing, smelling, etc. I’m sure that we all have some lack of awareness and/or have not been paying attention at various times. Lack of awareness and attention can be caused by several factors such as exhaustion, sickness, demands on your time, stress, boredom, hunger, etc.

Safety

What happened to the IIAR Bulletins?

What happened to the IIAR Bulletins? Short Answer: The IIAR Bulletins were all “Superseded!” Let’s discuss the history of the onset of IIAR Bulletins and how their material was eventually distributed and captured to become superseded.

Safety

Circuit Court Supports Tampa Electric’s Response to a Release

The Eleventh Circuit has rejected an appeal from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the case against Tampa Electric Co. and its response to an ammonia release at a power generating facility in 2017. The court of appeals upheld the finding that the release was controlled and the clauses pertaining to emergency response were not applicable.

Safety

Refrigerant Leaks in Commercial Mechanical Equipment Rooms

Industrial and commercial refrigeration systems use different types of heat transfer fluids (HTF), many of which are toxic and/or bad for the environment when they leak. The most common HTF refrigerants are Ammonia and hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), however while ammonia has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 0, the HFC’s all have a very high GWPs and are currently being evaluated by the EPA for phase down as per the US Government’s December 2020 AIM Act and per the recent United States ratification of the Kigali agreement.

Safety

IIAR Improves Safety and Operations with Ongoing Research and Standards

As the world's leading advocate for the safe, reliable and efficient use of ammonia and other natural refrigerants, research is a critical component of IIAR’s work. IIAR’s ongoing research projects lead to improved safety and more efficient operations while also shaping industry standards.

Safety

Emergency Series Part 2: Emergency Shutdown and Response

This article has been updated from a previous version to distinguish the differences between a nuisance leak response and a HAZMAT response. Emergency response or responding to emergencies means a response effort by employees from outside the immediate release area or by other designated responders (i.e., mutual aid groups, local fire departments, etc.) to an occurrence which results, or is likely to result, in an uncontrolled release of a hazardous substance.

Safety

Reporting Release Rates: How to find the middle ground

Estimating the amount of ammonia lost due to an accidental release can be a complex process and when they do occur, end-users want to avoid underpredicting or over-predicting release quantities. Presently, there is not a single reference guideline that provides details for calculating ammonia quantities released as a consequence of incidents.

Safety

International Fire Code to Defer to IIAR for Ammonia Issues

After years of work, it is more than likely that all code bodies will now refer to IIAR for ammonia refrigeration requirements by 2024. IIAR has made significant progress towards this goal over the past 20 years, but there was one outlier—the International Fire Code. However, the IFC’s technical committee has approved a proposal for the 2024 edition of its model code, deferring all matters related to ammonia refrigeration to IIAR.

Safety

The Case for Hazard and Operability Methodology

There is a vigorous debate within the industrial refrigeration industry surrounding whether or not the use of hazard and operability methodology, referred to as HAZOP, should be considered the industry standard for hazard reviews and process hazard analyses. While there are advocates for and against employing HAZOP methodology, Stephanie Smith, senior engineer II with Risk Management Professionals Inc., said her research and experience show that the benefits generally outweigh the costs.

Safety

A Great way to Learn

The following incident had many lessons learned for both the facility and the outside responders. Think about what would happen, or what actions would be taken if this happened at your facility.

Safety

IIAR-2 Updates Address Detection, Ventilation and More

The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration has released the latest version of IIAR-2, which covers the design of safe closed-circuit ammonia refrigeration systems. IIAR-2 was first released in 1974 and received its last major update in 2015.

Safety

IIAR Releases Critical Task Guideline

The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) has recently published the first edition of a new guideline titled “Critical Task Guidance for Ammonia Refrigeration System Emergency Planning.”

Safety

Improving PHAs With Sample-Safeguards Checklists

For many ammoniarefrigeration systems, a what-if/checklist processhazard analysis (PHA), with brainstorming about unique situations enhanced by a comprehensive safeguards checklist, provides a robust method for identifying hazards, analyzing risks, and developing any needed recommendations.

Safety

Ready? Really Ready?

Having a well-thoughtout and functional emergency plan can be challenging. I have seen some very good emergency plans, but I have also noticed that several plans are not as complete as they could be. This seems to be a tough lesson to learn, and you may have experienced this. Let me start with an example of a conversation similar to what I have heard many times, and then give some considerations for improving an emergency plan.

Safety

IIAR Participates in Coalition Amicus Brief to the Court Regarding Release Investigations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) is appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit a recent decision by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (“OSHRC”), and an administrative law judge that favored the Tampa Electric Company (“TECO”). The case surrounds actions that TECO performed when responding to a release of ammonia that occurred at a power generating facility.

Safety

India Eyes IIAR Standards, Other International Efforts See Success

While much of the efforts of IIAR’s International Committee in the past few years have been focused on Latin America, the committee recently began activities to develop contacts and influence in India

Safety

Appeals Court Denies Rehearing of Ruling Against EPA Regulation of HFCs

On January 26, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied petitions requesting a rehearing by the full court of a decision finding that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had exceeded its authority by regulating the use of HFCs through the Significant New Alternatives Policy program (SNAP).

Safety

Closing the Flammability Gap

The safety of synthetic refrigerants versus anhydrous ammonia continues to provide a major point of debate within the refrigeration industry. Since ratification of the Montreal Protocol two decades ago, there has been a trend toward eliminating non-flammable synthetic refrigerants that have ozone depleting potential or global warming potential. At the same time, questions concerning the flammability and toxicity of replacement refrigerants have remained at the forefront.