ammonia refrigerated facilities

March 22, 2021

 

Look, I get it. If a regulator walks in the front door, send your maintenance folks out the back door with a bucket of paint. We want to make the system look shiny and as new as we can get so that the regulator might cut us some slack. However, the issue is what happens when we don’t remove the lipstick, so to speak, and clean up the dirt (in this case, corrosion) underneath. Imagine what a celebrity would look like if they never washed off the makeup that they applied each day. Now take a look around your system. Do any of your pipes or valves, or even vessels, look like …

Keeping reading Lipstick on a Pig, Bill Lape’s latest article in the Epic Fail section of the RETA Breeze, to meet IIAR6 requirements before the regulator arrives.

 

Bill Lape is a Certified Industrial Refrigeration Operator, a Certified Refrigeration Service Technician, and a member of the National Board of Directors of the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association. He writes regularly to guide businesses and workers using industrial refrigeration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

January 20, 2020

Do Tracer Environmental professionals ever slow down? The SCS Tracer professionals at SCS Engineers were busy publishing new articles last month in addition to Operator Training. We’ve compiled several of them along with the most popular in our SCS library for your convenience. Select a title and start reading. Enjoy!

How to Properly Complete an IIAR 6 System Safety Inspection Checklist Form?  When filling out the ANSI/IIAR 6-2019 Ammonia Refrigeration Safety Inspection Checklists, located in appendix B, some of the information required may not always be readily accessible. This comprehensive article takes readers step-by-step through the process.

Epic Fails, Part Deux    Failures that come together, form a picture. The author discusses how we can begin to learn from these Epic Fails and start to take steps to prevent them in our plants.

Ammonia Pipe and Equipment Labeling – Part I   Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGEGEP), an overview of many of the standards and guidelines that are relevant to the ammonia refrigeration system labeling, and guidance on how to apply them.

Ammonia Pipe and Equipment Labeling – Part II    Options facilities have when choosing their RAGAGEP for pipe and equipment labeling.

It’s All in Your Past, RETA Breeze    Investing in the knowledge and development of your personnel is the first step towards making your management system world-class in the safe operation and maintenance of your ammonia refrigeration system.

Employee Training Under PSM/RMP   FAQs about designing a training program that is part of your facility’s PSM and RMP programs and provides a defensible position during inspections while ensuring that your facility operators and maintainers perform their jobs safely.

Mechanical Integrity, Documentation Discrepancies    Checks, and verification prevent big problems.

Managing Organizational Change: How it Impacts Your Ammonia Refrigeration System During periods of organizational change, we must keep in mind the potential impacts on our facility’s PSM/RMP or ARM programs, and on the operation of the ammonia refrigeration system itself.

PSM/RMP Compliance Audits: Who Should Perform Them?   What to look for in an auditor for hire? For starters, more than a consultant familiar with PSM/RMP regulations.

Management of Change: Have We Captured All of the Impacts of a Change?   It is vital to ask as many questions as possible regarding equipment changes under consideration. With more information, you may find that the proposed changes could impact safety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:01 am

October 14, 2019

Eric Girven, SCS Engineers

SCS Engineers welcomes Eric Girven, CRST, CIRO, and RAI to SCS Tracer Environmental, the firm’s practice specializing in industrial refrigeration and environmental management plans and systems.

Eric Girven serves public and private clients in the eastern United States providing expertise in process safety management and energy management with a focus on industrial refrigeration facilities. Industrial refrigeration operates in conformance with regulations administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Risk Management Program (RMP).

Eric assists clients in complying with these requirements, including mechanical integrity inspections for the ammonia refrigeration system, as well as assistance with energy efficiency measures.

“Eric’s energy-saving strategies streamlines operations and energy programs,” said Lee Pyle, an SCS Engineers Vice President and Project Director of the PSM and RMP programs. “Eric’s national and international certifications and his expertise are a welcome part of our industrial safety professional team.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:05 am

July 2, 2019

SCS Engineers has just added over 40 new NH3 refrigeration training sessions to our 2019 schedule. These intensive training includes:

  • Introduction to PSM/RMP/GDC
  • Advanced PSM/RMP/GDC
  • Operator I
  • Operator II
  • CARO Review

Contact us for on-site SOP and specific Refrigeration Training for operators customized for your system/facility. We also provide PSM/RMP and Ammonia Awareness training.  Contact us today at or visit our website.

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:07 am

March 13, 2019

If your facility is subject to Process Safety Management and Risk Management Plan regulations, or even if you are a mom and pop grocery store,  during the life of your business you’ll experience organizational change. William Lape, of SCS Engineers, writes about how we need to consider the impacts on a facility’s PSM/RMP or ARM programs and on the operation of the ammonia refrigeration system itself.

Published in the RETA Breeze, Managing Organizational Change, How It Impacts Your Ammonia Refrigeration System

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

December 20, 2016

As the weather cools it reminds us that Lee Pyle has compiled a series of great articles for the RETA Breeze this year. There’s still another coming soon, but here’s a review of what she’s published in 2016 to date. What else would you expect from the woman who brings ice sculptures to life in Nevada?

Click the links to take you to the article or to share it with others.

The Process Hazard Analysis Study and “Previous Incidents”, RETA Breeze, Jan-Feb 2016

Risk Management Planning – Get Involved!, RETA Breeze, Mar-Apr. 2016

Mechanical Integrity – 40 CFR 68.73 & OSHA 1910.119(j), RETA Breeze, May-Jun 2016

Incorporating RAGAGEP Into Your PSM – RMP, RETA Breeze, Jul-Aug 2016

PSM / RMP Compliance – DHS CSAT 2.0, RETA Breeze, Sep-Oct 2016 Issue

Thanks, Lee!

Posted by Diane Samuels at 3:00 am

December 13, 2016

Is your manufacturing or industrial business ready for the 2017 environmental reporting season?

Don’t let the deadlines sneak up on you.

 

SCS Engineers provides a free guide to the most common environmental reports due at the federal and state levels. Each guide includes an overview of the reporting due along with the date each state requires submission.

When SCS says free, we mean it. No need to submit your company name, no endless email trail will follow; these are free guides to download and share with others from the compliance experts – SCS Engineers.

Click to download or share each state guide:

If your state is not listed, contact the nearest SCS office to speak with a compliance professional in your area and in your business sector; SCS is nationwide.

If you have questions or need help sorting out details such as which reports apply to your business or step-by-step support on how to prepare your reports in the states listed above, contact our regional professionals.

environmental reporting requirements

 

Learn more about Ann
Ann O’Brien  1-773-775-6362

 

 

environmental compliance reports

 

 Learn more about Cheryl
Cheryl Moran  1-608-216-7325

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 3:00 am