Posts

Showing posts from August, 2021

What are the hazards of working with Ammonia?

Ammonia is widely used as a refrigerant gas, as well as in the fertilizer industry. A colourless gas with a sharp, penetrating, intensely irritating odour and a colourless liquid under pressure, it is not considered a flammable gas. However, a large and intense energy source may cause ignition and/or explosion. Ammonia gas can decompose at high temperatures forming very flammable hydrogen and toxic nitrogen dioxide. It is a COMPRESSED GAS and a confined space explosion and toxicity hazard. Ammonia gas is a CORROSIVE GAS and may be fatal if inhaled. Ammonia gas may cause lung injury, and the liquefied gas can cause frostbite and corrosive injury to eyes and skin. Ammonia gas is a severe respiratory tract irritant. Most people can detect it by smell at 0.6 to 53 ppm. Nose and throat irritation may be noticed at concentrations as low as 24 ppm after 2-6 hours exposure. A 10-minute exposure to 30 ppm may be faintly irritating to some, while 50 ppm may be found to be moderately irritating b

Process Safety Management

THE 14 ELEMENTS YOU SHOULD INCLUDE IN PSM PROGRAM- 1. Employee Participation. 2. Process Safety Information. 3. Process Hazard Analysis. 4. Operating Procedures. 5. Trainings. 6. Contractors. 7. Pre start up safety review. 8. Mechanical integrity. 9. Hot work permit. 10. Management of change. 11. Incident investigation. 12. Emergency planning and response. 13. Complaince Audits. 14. Trade secrets. Description as below- 1. EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION Perhaps one of the most important mandates, the employee participation clause requires that employees—including production and maintenance staff—be involved in every aspect of the PSM programs at their respective worksites. They must also be represented at the meetings where PSM-related issues are discussed. OSHA requires employee participation to be followed as written, so employers should create formal plans. 2. PROCESS SAFETY INFORMATION According to  OSHA’s PSM mandates , “The employer shall complete a compilation of written process safety i