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Author Archives: Brian Chapin
Improper Insulation Installation = Trouble
We recently found a pipe that had been insulated below and above the roofline. The portion of the pipe between the upper and lower roof surface was not insulated at all: Here’s what the pipe section looked like when it … Continue reading
Posted in Good Engineering Practices, Mechanical Integrity
Tagged Incidents, Mechanical Integrity
Comments Off on Improper Insulation Installation = Trouble
Why we avoid having forklifts in the Engine Room
An employee moving an oil drum in an engine room hit a liquid line: Check out the video. Keep forklifts out of the engine room!
$400 is a small price to pay
How do you know what the ammonia level is when you are wearing an APR? You don’t really, but for about $400 you can equip your technician with a little piece of mind. These incredibly handy clip-on NH3 meters from … Continue reading
Posted in PPE
Tagged Personal Protective Equipment, PPE
Comments Off on $400 is a small price to pay
Compromised Insulation
How serious is compromised insulation? One way of answering that is with an infrared camera. Take a look at the picture below: The saturated temperature on that LTRL line is about 0F and the LTRS line is about -40F. Obviously … Continue reading
Posted in General Information, Mechanical Integrity, Thermography
Tagged Mechanical Integrity, Thermography
Comments Off on Compromised Insulation
The Shrinking Dollar
I know it can feel like the value of our currency is constantly being reduced, but the picture above shows it ACTUALLY being reduced. This is what happens when you submerge a dollar bill in liquid ammonia for 30 seconds, … Continue reading
Planning for Future Expansions
It’s always a good idea to plan for additions to your refrigeration system when you install it or improve it. Loads always seem to increase as new production capacity or storage areas are brought on line. Here’s an example of … Continue reading
Posted in General Information, Good Engineering Practices
Tagged General, RAGAGEP
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Benefits of a Trained Professional Ammonia Operator
“Without Standardization, there can be no improvement” That’s one of my favorite phrases from Lean/Six Sigma. Is the person who is in charge of your ammonia system someone who genuinely cares about how your system is running? Are they the … Continue reading
A gem from the National Transportation Safety Board
I read accident reports from all sorts of sources. A few years ago I read through the entire NTSB online library for fun and I still keep up with the new ones. There were many good insights in the reports … Continue reading
Another six figure Ammonia Refrigeration Process Safety Management fine
From the OSHA press release: BRAINTREE, Mass. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited American Seafoods International LLC for 15 alleged willful and serious violations of safety and health standards at its New Bedford, … Continue reading
Posted in Compliance
Tagged Fines, OSHA, PSM
Comments Off on Another six figure Ammonia Refrigeration Process Safety Management fine
OSHA PSM National Emphasis Program Extended
Last year our good friends at OSHA finally started moving their PSM inspectors away from the oil refineries. A National Emphasis Plan was created to audit PSM. The NEP is targeted at Ammonia and Chlorine users – 32411 NAICS code … Continue reading
