Recent Blog Posts

Oil Storage and Machinery Rooms

October 3rd, 2017

Every closed-circuit ammonia refrigeration system utilizes oil for compressor lubrication. Facilities typically maintain new oil onsite in 55-gallon drums. We have observed that it is common practice for many facilities to store reserve oil inside the machinery room. ANSI/IIAR 2-2014 §6.4 addresses the storage of combustible materials inside the machinery room. This section requires that: […]

Update on Ammonia Diffusion Tanks

September 5th, 2017

Since 1994, jurisdictions which adopted the Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) have required ammonia refrigeration systems to be equipped with a diffusion tank to which all pressure relief valve discharge pipes must terminate. As a state, California has adhered to the California Mechanical Code (CMC) which is a derivative of the UMC. The most recent version […]

PSI Explained: Design Codes and Standards Employed

July 11th, 2017

In addition to the technical documentation that we have discussed previously (P&IDs, Ventilation System Design, Relief System Design and Design Basis, etc.), Title 8 CCR §5189(d)(3)(A)(6) and Title 29 CFR §1910.119(d)(3)(i)(F) require that a facility have documentation describing the “Design Codes and Standards Employed” readily available for each PSM chemical process. This documentation serves multiple purposes: […]

ANSI/IIAR 2-2014 Eyewash and Safety Shower Requirements

October 18th, 2016

In this week’s blog post we will summarize the eyewash and safety shower requirements for a facility with an ammonia refrigeration system. We posted on this topic in January 2015, but IIAR provided helpful clarification on the topic in the recently published ANSI/IIAR 2-2014. Here is a summary of the requirements: ANSI/IIAR 2-2014 §6.7.1 General. […]

Machinery Room Ventilation Requirements

August 9th, 2016

In this week’s blog post we will summarize the machinery room ventilation requirements contained within ANSI/IIAR 2-2014. We have broken down the ventilation requirements into three (3) categories: Design and Installation Control Testing Some of the requirements overlap and are listed in more than one of the categories. Design and Installation When occupied, the machinery […]