The Natural Refrigeration

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.

Vohsen Bos added that most people reasonably assume IIAR – 6 will lay out the exact parameters of a Mechanical Integrity (MI) evaluation without realizing that the standard only gets you part of the way. “This is why we have so many people attending this webinar; you really have to dig into this,” she said.

Nevertheless, Vohsen Bos cautioned that visual inspections do have limitations and should not be treated as the only safety measure, especially now that so many diagnostic tools are available.

“For years, we lacked the technology to get clear answers about the fitness of each component of the system, so everything hinged on visual inspections,” she said. “You watched for anything you could see, hear, or smell — signals to dig deeper, repair, or replace. Now we have the tools to deliver quantitative data, whereas visual inspections only offer qualitative suggestions.” While there are plenty of opportunities to specify the diagnostic technology that might be needed for follow-up, formulating a plan specific to a facility is still the first step.

To do that, said Vohsen Bos, she recommends using three questions to set goals and expectations and then write the plan.

“The first two questions set the parameters an organization will need to create their plan and focus them in on being honest about what they can do.”

“When this is done correctly, it really helps to streamline everything,” she said. “If the facility decision-making process is considered, that makes it much easier to follow the plan. Your ideal plan will tell you everything you need to know about making decisions once those requirements are set.”

Vohsen Bos leads webinar attendees through three questions to help them get familiar with the process required to formulate a good visual inspection plan:

1. Ask . . . Why am I performing evaluations? For example: Is it safety? Mechanical integrity? To check the regulatory box? The answer to this question will set the framework for how aggressive and thorough you’re going to be.
2. Ask . . . What is the corporate culture? For example: Is everybody on board? Do I have inspection and testing designated in the budget? What are my limitations? How often do I perform in-house testing? What are the testing limitations?
3. Ask . . . What are the minimum operating components for the system? For example: What are [the maintenance limitations] I’m going to decide for each component?

The third question, said Vohsen Bos, is where a facility can really start to build out its plan. “Start with your minimum requirements to answer: what is the lowest operating threshold I’m willing to tolerate for every component of my system? Then ask: what happens when I reach that minimum? What happens when I approach it?”

Finally, said Vohsen Bos, do not forget to follow through because that’s where most citations end up happening.

“The first two questions in this list protect you from mapping out an unrealistic plan. Corporate culture ultimately defines what’s possible and drives decision‑making,” said Vohsen Bos. “You have to make sure this is something your facility can follow. A good evaluation action plan presents a very strong position for PSM and RMP, but if you create a guide and don’t follow it, that’s a really good way to get cited.”