Copper Theft, Ammonia, and PHAs

If cold storage facilities didn’t have enough to worry about already, a recent incident has given them one more thing to consider.  Earlier this week, 500-700 feet of copper wire was stolen from the roof of a cold storage facility in Henderson, NV. What makes the theft particularly alarming is that the stolen wire was installed in close proximity to the ammonia piping used for the refrigeration system. Had the thieves mistakenly cut through ammonia pipes instead of conduit, the results could have been even more disastrous. If you are the owner or operator of a cold storage facility, I recommend giving this incident some serious thought and consider implementing safeguards that could help prevent this from happening at your facility.  Keep in mind that any facility subject to the requirements of RMP, PSM, or CalARP is required to address “facility siting” when conducting their process hazard analysis (PHA)…during which this unlikely incident could serve as a real-life example.