Q&A | Safe Access to Equipment

Question: Do I have to provide safe access to all of my ammonia refrigeration equipment?

Answer: According to current codes and standards, the answer is a resounding YES! 

IIAR 2 – Standard for Design of Safe Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems

General Accessibility

ANSI/IIAR 2-2021 defers to the mechanical code requirements in reference to accessibility in §5.12.1.

The 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code states the following under Accessibility for Service:

304.1 General. All appliances shall be located with respect to building construction and other equipment so as to permit access for repair or replacement of the appliance. . . Unless otherwise specified, clearances of not less than 30 inches (762 mm) in depth, width, and height of working space shall be maintained.

This section also states that clearance shall be maintained for the following scenarios:

• Removal of the appliance
• Cleaning of heating surfaces
• Replacement of filters, blowers, motors, burners, controls, and vent connections
• Lubrication of moving parts where necessary
• Adjustment and cleaning of burners and pilots
• Proper functioning of explosion vents

Access to Valves

ANSI/IIAR 2-2021 §5.12.5.1 requires that “Manually operated valves that are inaccessible from floor level shall be operable from portable platforms, fixed platforms, ladders, or by use of a chain or a remote actuated manual-operator.” 

Additionally, “Manually operated isolation valves identified as being part of the system emergency shutdown procedure shall be directly operable from the floor or by use of a chain or a remote-actuated manual operator that is operated from a permanent work surface. Accessibility and clearance to operate the valves while wearing emergency response personal protective equipment shall be provided. Emergency valve identification shall comply with Section 5.14.4.” (§5.12.5.2)

IIAR 9 – Standard for Minimum System Safety Requirements for Existing Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems

General Accessibility

ANSI/IIAR 9-2020 contains similar requirements in regard to accessibility. In §7.2.8, the standard requires that “Equipment shall be accessible for inspection testing, maintenance, and emergency shutdown.”

• 7.2.11.2 Egress. Operational and maintenance service egress shall be provided by access panels or doors, or shall provide for remote service by removal of the enclosure or the contents from the installed location.

Access to Valves

• 7.3.3.3 Access to Valves. 

1. Manually operated valves that are inaccessible from floor level shall be operable from portable platforms, fixed platforms, ladders, or shall be chain operated
2. Manually operated isolation valves identified as being part of the system emergency shutdown procedure shall be directly operable from the floor or chain operated from a permanent work surface. Emergency shut-off valve identification shall comply with Section 7.2.9.3

IIAR 6 – Standard for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems

Ammonia Refrigeration Safety Inspection Checklists (Appendix B)

The inspection checklists in the appendix of this standard were intended to replace the IIAR Bulletin No. 109 (B109) checklists used for annual inspections. Each checklist for the various components includes the inspection question “Safe access for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance (ITM)?”

While the content listed in the appendix of an IIAR standard is “informative” (not a requirement), it infers the importance of providing safe access for all equipment.