Back to basics
PPE – IF ONLY WE ALL HAD
THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT AND THE CORRECT TRAINING
By Andrew Perks
ANDREW PERKS
Andrew Perks is a subject expert in ammonia refrigeration . Since undertaking his apprenticeship in Glasgow in the 1960s he has held positions of contracts engineer , project engineer , refrigeration design engineer , company director for a refrigeration contracting company and eventually owning his own contracting company and low temperature cold store . He is now involved in adding skills to the ammonia industry , is merSETA accredited and has written a variety of unit standards for SAQA that define the levels to be achieved in training in our industry .
In my last article I spoke of the need for PPE and some of the questions relating to why we must be aware of the situation around us at all times and use the suitable PPE for the risk profile on hand .
We really do need to do regular risk assessments whenever we are doing hazardous work . Look at when we drive our car – we buckle up as a matter of course . I suppose because we can be punished by the law if we don ’ t , so it has just become a habit . I know in my car , if I don ’ t buckle up , the car gets all upset and tells me to do so . But it really is to protect us in case the unexpected happens and we become involved in an accident or incident .
Before we start any work , we should do a PPE assessment after conducting a risk assessment to identify tasks involved , and where they are impacted by other extraneous events . Once we have established all the risks , we should then be able to compile a list of the PPE for the job . That said , now we need
to physically check and inspect the equipment .
Take working with ammonia – it is both hazardous and toxic , so we need to be sure to be protected . SANS 10147 specifies the level of PPE to be available depending on the quantity of ammonia on the site .
There is your first level of site PPE which is an appropriate full set of overalls ( a tee shirt , shorts and flip flops just doesn ’ t cut it ), safety shoes – if it ’ s possible that you will be coming into contact with ammonia your normal steel toe caps will not suffice . Liquid ammonia will go right through leather or composite footwear . You will need to have steel toe cap rubber boots . Then of course there is a hard hat and hearing protection . All basic PPE .
Plants with below a 500kg ammonia charge required a second level of PPE which is two sets of face masks and
Andrew Perks
Ammonia suits indicating the correct PPE and duct tape to seal off rubber gloves and rubber boots .
cannisters , along with rubber gloves , suitable for buddy / buddy operation . It is assumed that whoever is wearing this safety equipment will have had appropriate training on how to don the equipment and to check that it functions correctly . Don ’ t think that it is just simply a case of pulling on the gas mask and away you go . You firstly need to check whether the cannister is within its expiry date , then you need to see that it seals properly on your face by covering the air intake with your hand to see if you can still breathe . If you can you will end up inhaling ammonia if you get into an ammonia rich environment .
For ammonia plants with more than 500kg we need to have a third level of site PPE which includes two sets of breathing apparatus ( BA ) each with a spare fully charged ( 270-300 bar air pressure ). Each BA set is to have a level B chemical suit , rubber boots , rubber gloves , a lifeline and duct tape to seal up the gloves and boots to the suit .
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I June 2021 49