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Safety and Health Topics |
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| Ammonia Refrigeration |
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In
Focus |
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Ammonia is considered a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and
lungs. Exposure to 300 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and health. Ammonia is also flammable at concentrations
of approximately 15% to 28% by volume in air. When mixed with lubricating oils, its flammable concentration range is
increased. It can explode if released in
an enclosed space with a source of ignition present, or if a vessel containing
anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire. Fortunately,
ammonia has a low odor threshold (20 ppm), so most people will seek relief at much lower concentrations.
The following questions link
to information relevant to ammonia refrigeration in the workplace.
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What standards
apply?
OSHA | National Consensus |
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How are the hazards of ammonia refrigeration recognized and what controls are
used to protect workers?
Hazard Recognition | Worker Protection | Case Studies |
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How are the hazards of ammonia refrigeration evaluated? |
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What additional information is available? |
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In Focus |
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eTools
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 Ammonia Refrigeration.
OSHA. Assists employers and
employees in identifying and controlling the hazards associated with the
operation and maintenance of ammonia refrigeration systems. Many of the requirements
of the Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard,
29 CFR 1910.119, are
identified in this eTool as possible controls, and are useful as
recommended practices, whether or not the ammonia refrigeration system is a
covered process.
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