A while back, I was participating in a PHA of a refrigeration process, and somehow, the discussion led to one that scared me a bit… collecting a liquid ammonia sample to test for water content. The actual art of ammonia refrigeration not being my area of expertise, I had always reserved Bulletin No. 108. Guidelines for Water Contamination in Ammonia Refrigeration Systems for a rainy day reading project (which never came). I focused more on the process safety-related items and thought water contamination was merely a production/energy issue and, therefore, no safety/health risks. That was MY IGNORANCE, and now I am kicking myself for missing this task in previous PHA/JHA’s and Audits. But having asked around of many of my friends and clients in the refrigeration industry, I have come to realize that I may not be the only ignorant ass safety professional when it comes to catching liquid ammonia samples! Here are my questions and concerns with the task…
Testing for water in your Ammonia Refrigeration Process