Back to basics
CRITICAL TASK GUIDANCE
FOR SITE EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
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 .
I was recently disappointed that Covid-19 had interrupted my trip to the IIAR conference in Orlando Florida , since I was really looking forward to touching base with some of the world leaders in ammonia safety techniques and procedures .
In the US one of the really remarkable ammonia industrial training leaders is Ammonia Safety Training Institute , better known is ASTI – they are an amazing group of people , happy to reach out and help where they can . So , whilst we actually didn ’ t get to meet up , we are developing an online relationship .
When it comes to presentations some of their latest videos and YouTube videos are world-class . They are closely aligned with the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration -IIAR, and are currently working on drawing up a “ Critical Task Guidance for an Emergency Action Plan ” document .
Now this is interesting as it is a subject very close to my heart – ammonia safety .
Everyone I chat to is really worried about ammonia , and so they should be – if they do not understand how to work with it .
It ' s funny that whilst I have been in this industry since 1963 , I have had various problems in the course of my job but never sustained any ammonia injuries . It ’ s how you see it isn ’ t it – the cup half full or half empty ?
Everything we do has risks attached , but , if you don ’ t know what you are doing then it becomes more dangerous – just like driving a car . Get the correct training and be prepared .
You may or may not be aware that we develop specific training courses for Ammonia Applications and have been doing so since the mid 2000s . A case in point is ‘ Safe Handling of Ammonia ’, which is the core material for SAQCCGas Cat A and Cat B training . Our view has always been safety as the bottom line .
You may ask : “ Where is all this going ?” Well , I am currently in the process of developing training material to bring safety standards to South Africa in line with IIAR and ASTI material so as to comply with OSHA 192.120 regulations .
The current problem we are facing is that management thinks that by having SAQCCGas trained artisans on site they are covered in the event of an ammonia release . Well , they are not . As I see it , the trained technician should be able to address the issue of the release , but he
will be so tied up , he will not be able to address the consequences – and that ’ s the issue being addressed in these new guide lines .
Ammonia is a group 2 material , and all ammonia sites , irrespective of the ammonia volume on site , are being classed as major hazardous installations .
Thus , there are certain site-specific conditions that need to be adhered to . SANS 10147 is quite specific about the level of artisan / operator training required and that should be covered with SAQCCGas aligned training : The reasons for Level B and Level A technicians and plant operators ; The type of safety equipment required is dictated by the volume of Ammonia in the plant ; The site staff need to be trained for confined space incidents and how to specifically deal with any mmonia injuries .
All of this and more is being addressed in the Critical Task Guidance being developed .
Has anyone really ever thought about a command structure during an incident ? If you have ever been in any incident you will know what I mean . People panicking , the ‘ breath-taking ’ smell of ammonia , not enough safety equipment , no site control . This can get very interesting - I can tell you .
We have been presenting our Ammonia Site Incident Response Training at various sites around the country , as we have written about before . That in itself brings a new look at how a site needs to respond in a worst-case scenario .
Now we are developing a First responder / plant operator training course .
Putting systems and procedures in place is where we are going with our latest training . This course covers the responsibilities and actions required of suppliers and contractors to site , and tied into the site emergency plan and work risk assessment . They are both about trying to make the people and site safer to begin with and how to effectively respond should there be any issues .
Next month I will visit this subject further . In the meantime stay safe and wear your mask ! RACA
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I November 2020 45