Mechanical Integrity Inspections for Ammonia Refrigeration Systems

Issued in 1992, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) regulation was designed to guide facilities in the safe management of processes that use highly hazardous chemicals.

One of the major impacts on the food industry is the regulation’s application to ammonia refrigeration systems, which are widely used in food processing, storage and distribution facilities. The regulation applies to refrigeration systems that contain more than 10,000 pounds of ammonia. It requires owners to perform periodic mechanical integrity inspections on refrigeration systems to ensure the continued reliability of equipment and systems and minimize the risk of accidental release of ammonia.