Recent Blog Posts

Should I Hire a Contractor or Keep it In-House? | Part 2: Research Methodology

August 23rd, 2022

Eli Macha presented a technical paper at the 2021 RETA National Conference titled IIAR 6: Should I Hire a Contractor or Keep it In-House? This blog series includes excerpts from his technical paper. Rather than simply stating the author’s opinion of in-house vs contracted work, the intent of this [blog series] is to provide accurate […]

Should I Hire a Contractor or Keep it In-House? | Part 1: Introduction

August 16th, 2022

Eli Macha presented a technical paper at the 2021 RETA National Conference titled IIAR 6: Should I Hire a Contractor or Keep it In-House? This blog series includes excerpts from his technical paper. One of the most common questions posed to process safety consultants is, “Do I need to hire a contractor?” This [blog series] […]

IIAR 2-2021: Hydrostatic Overpressure Protection Requirements

July 12th, 2022

The 2021 edition of IIAR Standard 2 has improved clarity on the minimum requirements for protecting equipment and piping from hydrostatic overpressure. The term “hydrostatic overpressure” refers to the pressure exerted when trapped liquid is subject to thermal expansion. Common components in ammonia refrigeration systems that may be subject to hydrostatic overpressure include: Oil coolers […]

IIAR 2-2021: Ammonia Machinery Room Ventilation Requirements

June 28th, 2022

In 2021, IIAR published a new edition of their flagship standard ANSI/IIAR 2 which addresses the requirements for designing a safe ammonia refrigeration system. Machinery room ventilation is one of the many important topics addressed within Standard 2. While the requirements have not changed substantially since the 2014 edition, we have put together this blog […]

IIAR 2-2021: Ammonia Detection Requirements

June 14th, 2022

With the recent publication of ANSI/IIAR 2-2021, it seemed appropriate to post a blog summarizing the minimum ammonia detection requirements for new ammonia refrigeration systems. Machinery Rooms Ammonia detection inside machinery rooms is addressed in §6.13. At minimum, machinery room ammonia detection must include: At least two detectors with identical sensing ranges must be installed. […]