Recent Blog Posts
October 15th, 2024
Summary In December 2022, a falling piece of ice broke off a ¾” ammonia charging connection on a high pressure receiver. This resulted in a release of approximately 2,375 lbs of ammonia. Incident Description Extreme weather conditions resulted in excessive ice buildup under the condenser platform. The high pressure receiver was located under the condenser […]
September 3rd, 2024
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 […]
August 20th, 2024
Summary In June 2023, the vibration of an evaporator over a long period of time allowed exposed electrical wiring to cause an arc flash that ruptured a distribution tube. This resulted in two (2) injuries and a release of approximately 11 lbs of ammonia. Incident Description The direct-expansion evaporator was equipped with an electric heater […]
August 5th, 2024
The first edition of IIAR Standard 9 was published in 2020. Consistent with the document title, “Standard for Minimum System Safety Requirements for Existing Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems”, Standard 9 lays out the minimum requirements that all systems must adhere to, regardless of when they were built. The original publication of Standard 9 required facilities […]
July 23rd, 2024
A July 2024 publication by the USEPA has put small ammonia refrigeration facilities in the Pacific Northwest on notice. This notice states ‘EPA is providing advance notice of an upcoming enforcement initiative so that you can take steps now to avoid a penalty before the initiative begins.’ Many ammonia refrigeration facilities across the Pacific Northwest must comply […]