SYNOPSIS

Ammonia offers superior thermodynamic qualities which require less heat transfer surface, adequate for smaller pipes and results in less energy consumption compared to other refrigerants. Ammonia is widely used as a heat transfer medium of high-capacity industrial cooling systems for the storage, processing, or manufacturing of foods or daily consumption products due to its natural existence in air. This gas has a strong odor smell that can be detected by anyone who comes close to it but may cause serious health effects if exposed to high concentrations of ammonia. It has certain effects to human health such as respiratory distress or failure from immediate burning of the nose, throat, and respiratory tract, while nose and throat irritation leading to coughing if lower concentrations of ammonia are inhaled.

In refrigeration systems the ammonia liquid is stored in closed pressurized vessels and piping. Any release of the pressure will evaporate ammonia gases with rapid formation of vapor clouds that can harm humans. There are many cases which involved ammonia accidents in Malaysia and the aim of this review session is to present on what went wrong with anhydrous ammonia refrigerant system operation and maintenance that give some causes and effects of the accidents. Some of the cases not only affected the safety and health of workers, but also had involved fatalities. Those involved with the undertaking of ammonia refrigeration businesses shall be aware of their legal liabilities and obligations of their workplace risk to safety and health. This session will give a brief review on the new guideline of ammonia refrigeration safe handling published by dosh and case studies.


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Ir. Tajul Ariffin Mohamed Nori is a factory and machinery inspector and currently he is working with Forensic Engineering Division, DOSH. He graduated from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia with B. Eng in Mechanical Engineering, 2008 and M. Sc. (Mechanical Engineering), UTM 2017. He is an active committee member in the IEM, a committee member of METD and currently the chairman of Safety in Engineering Special Interest Group (SESIG). For over a decade, he gained his experience in various workplace accident investigation including the construction industry, demolition works, factories, power plant that involving fatality cases, dangerous occurrence cases, near miss incidents, engineering structures failure, heavy machinery accidents and work-related occupational disease. His contribution in various stages of Malaysia Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) law enforcement from OSH law development, law enforcements to safety and health promotions.