Recent Blog Posts

PHA Overview (Part 1)

October 27th, 2020

A PHA is the cornerstone of an effective PSM Program. In the next several blogs, we will consider various aspects of PHAs to help improve understanding regarding this important process safety activity. What is a PHA? A process hazard analysis, or PHA, is an organized and systematic effort to identify, evaluate, and control potential hazards […]

IIAR Achieves a Mechanical Code Milestone

October 13th, 2020

On March 6, 2020, the International Code Council published the 2021 edition of the International Mechanical Code (IMC). 2021 IMC includes a noteworthy change that all ammonia refrigeration industry stakeholders should celebrate. Instead of including prescriptive requirements for ammonia refrigeration systems in Chapter 11, as previous editions had done, §1101.1.2 now requires that “Refrigeration systems […]

Valve Exercising and IIAR 6

September 29th, 2020

Ammonia refrigeration systems are typically configured with hundreds of valves that require maintenance to help ensure that they will function properly when adjusted from their normal position. ANSI/IIAR 6-2019 Standard for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems includes the minimum requirements for valve inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) in Table 11.1.6. Concerning […]

Differences Between IIAR Standards 2 and 9

September 15th, 2020

Earlier this year, IIAR published ANSI/IIAR 9-2020 Standard for Minimum System Safety Requirements for Existing Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems. While it has long been recognized that new systems must adhere to the requirements of IIAR Standards 2 and 4, facilities with existing systems have often been confused on how they should relate to these standards. […]

Final RMP Rule Changes

September 1st, 2020

Rule Changing Background In 2017, several RMP rule changes were proposed, which we previously covered. On November 20, 2019, the EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler, signed the final Risk Management Program Reconsideration final rule. The EPA says this about the change: “[It] modifies and improves the existing rule to remove burdensome, costly, unnecessary amendments while maintaining […]