NH3 safty

[J.F.C.]

HI
I work as a service tecnishen.
I was wondering what safty equipment you use when draning oil or opening a walv glasses,gasmask,gloves,chemical sut or what?

P.S. sory my english spelling is not very good, i an from denmark

[Oregon Jim]

You simply cannot be too safe when you are draining oil. Use a full-face respirator and gloves at minimum. Remember that you have the danger of splashing liquid too. Keep in mind that when you are wearing a respirator your nose cannot provide you with any information about the NH3 concentration until you have exceeded the limits of your respirator. For safety and protection against lawsuits, you should use an ammonia monitor. If some "down-winder" suddenly falls to the floor claiming you nearly killed them with NH3 vapors, you will need to say (AND KNOW FOR CERTAIN) "My monitor confirmed I was operating safely" in order to save your hide. It may also save your life.

[Grizzly]

I like what you say and your reasons for it Jim.
But as you say when wearing a respirator. It is impossible to monitor the concentrations of Ammonia around you, whilst you are working.
For that reason over here we are always taught, have the respirator to hand.
But use a face shield instead of the respirator and keep that for a controlled shut down and exit from the work area.
To explain why..
I once had a colleague who was working on a system whilst wearing a respirator.
Whilst boxing up the pipework that he was working on, there was a release of Ammonia Vapour.
This was all around him but not obvious to him.
As he could not smell it with the respirator on!
Myself and another colleague noticed this and shouted above the running machinery.
For him to step away from the work
area before removing his respirator, which he was just about to do, having completed the task in hand!

The second reason for adopting this practise is because the canister on the respirator could "run out" whilst you are within a cloud and you could end up gulping in large amount of contaminated air.
This is not a criticism as I know you know what you are doing.
But it may be of help for some of the less experienced guys!
Grizzly

[chilldis]

I agree with Grizzly wholeheartly , I have been in situations when the area can have vapor concentrations above 100 ppm and I was completely unaware of it because of the gas mask. a quality ammonia detector is one of the best investments you can make for your safety and the safety of your coworkers and community.

[Oregon Jim]

EXPERIENCE and KNOWLEDGE will sometimes allow you to take risks that others might challenge. It also might allow you to lose your sight, your pretty face, your career, and the safety of others. If you are not certain of a safe procedure and confident that you have covered all your "what if" situations, stop what you are doing and give the procedure some thought.

I have to admit that I use my nose much more than I should, and that I too simply have the respirator on hand rather than on face. Life is all about judgement. If yours is bad somebody will certainly pay for your error. There are times a respirator is called for, yet it is an obsticle to your knowledge of the situation. The experts will tell you to err on the side of safety and I can only agree.

You may not be remembered for a life-long accident free career, but you will be a historical figure if you cause a big release...

[Oregon Jim]

I am sorry for a second post, but I did not mention that our codes here require full face respirators at 35ppm.


I have worked with NH3 for a long time and consider that to be a puny number, but others are almost ready to call for emergency assistance at levels far below that. I know what exposure is within my comfort zone, but the codes don't care about my comfort, but my health. It's hard to be mad at those darned regulators...

[nh3wizard]

Most require face shield and gloves when draining oil, but also require that a respirator be on hand for "Just in Case", some facility's go over board on the ppe requirements.

[J.F.C.]

Thanks all
I have workd with NH3 for sometime, interesting to hear how things ar done in the US. i use a gasmaske and glovs not a renpirator (mabyc i shoud). I always instel a stop walve and a quick closing walve on oil drain

Thanks fore the input

[brian_chapin]

Every facility is different. At ours we require the person performing the line opening to be wearing a full face respirator, insulated rubber gloves and a personal ammonia detector. Additionally, there is a second person that has to be in visual contact with the person actually performing the line opening. That second person has a full face respirator on hand as well as a personal ammonia detector. Their job is to react if something goes awry with the first guy.

It does add a few minutes to the procedure, but I would much rather "waste" that few minutes than find a technician knocked out under an oil pot a few hours after he could have been helped.

Of course, we are a PSM/RMP facility so we have to be very mindful of how we do things. You may not HAVE to, but it is still a good idea to put safety first and foremost in your mind.

[CHIEF DELPAC]

Oregon Jim Could you give some information on your N.H.3 moniter Thank You C.D.

[Oregon Jim]

There are many ammonia monitors available. Some have features that allow you to do all kinds of nifty things such as creating logs, doing trends, and much more.

I have two monitors. One is small and very convenient. You can find it at the following website. It is very good for maintenance work.

http://www.topac.com/gasalert1.html

I have another larger model that I keep handy mostly in case of a release. It has the ability to record readings and create records that my smaller monitor lacks. Unfortunately I do not have any name or information about it at hand. I can get it from work if you need it.

I suspect some of the others here can also give you advice on monitors.

[brian_chapin]

I have two monitors. One is small and very convenient. You can find it at the following website. It is very good for maintenance work.

http://www.topac.com/gasalert1.html

Manning makes a nearly identical version of that clip-on detector. We have a pair of them at each facility. Even with hearing protection in you can tell when the alarm goes off from vibration and flashing lights. They are extremely handy when you are wearing a full face APR.

[CHIEF DELPAC]

Oregon Jim & brian chapin Thanks for the info on portable NH3 monitors. I didnot realize that there is a lot of choice in monitors. One question. I currently use sulphur sticks and litmus paper for finding leaks. Is there anything better or easier to use? C.D.

[nh3wizard]

Oregon Jim & brian chapin Thanks for the info on portable NH3 monitors. I didnot realize that there is a lot of choice in monitors. One question. I currently use sulphur sticks and litmus paper for finding leaks. Is there anything better or easier to use? C.D.

I use both, depending on where I am checking for a leak, I think the sulfur sticks stink worse than the nh3 leak. I am trying to find.

[CHIEF DELPAC]

nh3wizard I am with you on the sulphur stink. I am hoping that there is somthing a little more benign to use. C.D.

[chilldis]

the least exspensive ammonia detector is the drager draw tube pump. although it is very slow compared to the electronic monitors. as far as a non-stink leak detector a spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and dish detergent works well.

[CHIEF DELPAC]

chilldis Ive used soapwater for detecting leaks on piping and pressure vessels. I dont use it around the compressors as Iam worried about damage occuring in the comp. contols and to any of the electrical contacts and motors. The problem I have with litmus paper is if the NH3 is in a large area the litmus paper detects it. whether its a leak or just NH3 in the area. AS for sulphur sticks one wiff gives the reason why they are not loved C.D.