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Parent Category: Safety Info Posts

Category: Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

Published: 13 February 2018

FM Global, my absolute favorite source of RELIABLE and FREE safety information has published a new Data Sheet titled 7-13 Mechanical Refrigeration.  This data sheet and hundreds more are available for FREE (after a very brief registration) to anyone.  A truly MUST have for any safety professional working in an industrial environment!  In their new Data Sheet, 7-13 Mechanical Refrigeration, FM Global shares some of their internal loss histories and events with us, of which I find helpful when trying to explain why the codes/standards have multiple layers of protection built into them, as well as some nice engineering suggestions that may come in handy for those looking to go above and beyond IIAR and OSHA/EPA requirements.

Table 3 describes the mechanical refrigeration losses experienced by FM Global clients in the period from January 2006 through June 2017.  While representing a relatively small number of incidents, CONTAMINATION (e.g. ammonia getting into food areas) is the LOSS LEADER IN TERMS OF LOSS COST. All contamination incidents involved ammonia refrigeration systems where the leak either occurred in the refrigerated area or there was inadequate separation between the machinery room and refrigerated area, allowing ammonia gas to migrate to the refrigerated area.  The causes of the ammonia releases included the following:

NOTE: this data is FREE when you register at FM Global and can download their data sheets.  The content below, the notations, highlights, and explanations, are for SAFTENG members.

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