7/7/2020 UPDATE: Found the OSHA Case where an evaporator fan motor bracket failed, causing the fan to fall onto the coil(s) and cause a NH3 release
6/30/2020 UPDATE: See my video of an NH3 Condenser Tube/Coil failure (Hydraulic Expansion) on my YouTube Channel
In 2012 I attempted to convince you that ammonia evaporative condensers are indeed Permit-Required Confined Spaces. I hope I was convincing enough that you now agree that ammonia evaporative condensers truly are PRCSs. But we left the “800-pound gorilla in the room” issue unanswered:
Do we have to evacuate the ammonia from the condenser coils before our entry?
Now it’s time to discuss our entry options into these PRCSs and how the ammonia in the coil(s) will play a role in each entry option.
OSHA allows employers three (3) options for entering PRCSs. They are:
