Ammonia Refrigeration Safety Inspection Checklist

Issued in 1992, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) regulation is designed to give guidance to facilities regarding the safe management of any hazardous chemical processing. In the food industry, there is a regulation requiring the use of ammonia refrigeration systems for refrigerating foods at an industrial scale. This requirement brings with it some complications when it comes to the rules and regulation surrounding the use of Ammonia. . At McNeil Industrial, we can provide you with exceptional design capabilities to ensure you receive a reliable, cost-effective, regulated, and efficient performing ammonia refrigeration system.

OSHA Inspection Requirements

The above-mentioned regulations apply to systems that contain over 10,000 pounds of ammonia. Owners are under an obligation to perform periodic mechanical integrity inspections on these refrigeration systems. This helps to ensure the ongoing dependability of the system and equipment, and helps minimize the risk of accidental ammonia release.

The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) has issued a number of mechanical integrity inspection documents catered to ammonia refrigeration systems. These detail the reasons why an MI program is necessary, and what the features of that program should be.

Ammonia System Equipment to be Inspected

According to the mechanical integrity guidelines of the PSM, the equipment for the inspection protocol must include:

• Piping Systems
• Pressure Vessels
• Emergency Systems
• Equipment
• Supports
• Protective Systems

Non-Destructive Testing

The Non-destructive testing methods to be used include:

• Radiographic Testing (RT)
• Ultrasonic Thickness Testing (UT)
• Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT)
• Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)

To increase the effectiveness of the inspection testing program, inspectors deliberately select particular inspection points. With proper knowledge of a refrigerant system’s operation, one can identify the critical system points most susceptible to physical damage, expansion or contraction, corrosion, exposure to process and weather elements, or leakage. Based on the results of the inspection, any deficient components can be identified, and inspectors can provide you with an estimate of the remaining service life.

As part of the OSHA PSM regulations, mechanical integrity programs are required. Ammonia refrigeration system owners must participate in these inspections in order to lessen the risk of ammonia leakage, and ensure all system components are continually reliable.

Our trained and experienced ammonia refrigeration professionals can help owners identify potential risk factors and determine the necessary level inspection to be performed on each system.

If you need efficient and high quality ammonia refrigeration system design, our team at McNeil Industrial can help. Call us today at 800.728.6160 or complete our contact form.