Shock to the system

• March 26, 2015

SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM 

The recent CSB safety video describes the key lessons for preventing hydraulic shock in ammonia refrigeration systems based on their investigation into the accident at Millard Refrigerated Services Inc. on August 23, 2010. Better emergency preparedness of the people working near the plant could have reduced the number of people affected e.g. they should have run to the side rather than in the same direction as the ammonia cloud was moving. During the accident, 32,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was released into the atmosphere, resulting in over thirty offsite workers being hospitalized – four in an intensive care unit.