Uh, Oh Series: API Recommended Practices in Ammonia Refrigeration Safety Management

Bill Lape’s latest article addresses the use of American Petroleum Institute (API) recommended practices in ammonia refrigeration safety management and clarifies concerns about their applicability compared to International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) standards. Bill covers these topics:

• Historical context of ammonia standards: Early ammonia refrigeration codes were limited. ASHRAE 15 was the main standard before the late 1990s, when IIAR standards like IIAR 2 and IIAR 6 began filling gaps in pressure relief device sizing and maintenance requirements.
• Use of API practices in safety programs: A major ammonia refrigeration user employs API RP 754, a recommended practice for process safety performance indicators, to enhance their Process Safety Management and Risk Management Program, despite it not being a formal code. This use is due to the absence of ammonia-specific performance metrics.
• Acceptability of API guidance as RAGAGEP: Facilities may select appropriate Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) that address their process hazards effectively, including API recommendations like RP 2221 for contractor safety, which are not detailed in ammonia industry guidance.
• Compliance flexibility and adherence: While PSM-RMP regulations do not mandate the use of metrics, facilities choosing to adopt API recommended practices must consistently adhere to them as part of their safety programs.

This article was published in the RETA Breeze. You are welcome to share it using the icons at the bottom of the page.

The Uh, Oh… Series

• Clean Water Act and Stormwater Runoff – Part I
• Chemical Accident Prevention – Part II
• A Brief History on Presidential Administrations’ Impact on Regulations – Part III
• Changes to EPA Process Safety Standards – Part IV
• Emergency Response – Part V

About the Author: Bill Lape, CARO, CIRO, CRST, is the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association executive vice president and project director for the Risk Management Group for SCS Engineers Tracer Environmental Group.