Anhydrous Ammonia, anyone know what that is? I\u2019m Marty T Hawkins with Warehouse and Operations as a Career and we appreciate you checking in with us! My apologies, I\u2019m a bit horse today but let\u2019s have some fun anyway! I brought up the words Anhydrous Ammonia a few weeks ago and had gotten a few questions about it so lets look it up today! Merriam Webster tells us that Anhydrous means free from water. And they explain that Ammonia is a pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH3 that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure. So, looking up Anhydrous Ammonia we learn it is ammonia in its pure form that contains no water. https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/AnhydrousAmmonia.html we learn Anhydrous ammonia, a colorless gas with pungent, suffocating fumes, is used as an agricultural fertilizer and industrial refrigerant.
\nWhen handled improperly, anhydrous ammonia can be immediately dangerous to life or health. As liquid anhydrous ammonia is released from its container into the air, it expands rapidly, forming a large cloud that acts like a heavier-than-air gas for a period of time. Because the vapors hug the ground initially, the chances for humans to be exposed are greater than with other gases. Symptoms of anhydrous ammonia exposure include:
\neye, nose, and throat irritation
\nbreathing difficulty, wheezing, or chest pain
\npulmonary edema, pink frothy sputum
\nburns, blisters and frostbite.
\nExposure can be fatal at high concentrations.
\nMy experience with it has been in foodservice distribution facilities. Your larger broadline\u2019s and concept distribution centers may use it for their refrigeration systems for their cooler and freezer vaults. If you\u2019ve ever visited one of them upon signing in at the lobby, they\u2019ll usually have you sign in and give you a sheet that explains that they have anhydrous ammonia on the premises and describes their evacuation procedures. Of course, it\u2019s safe when used properly, just one of the many things in our industry that we need to treat with respect though. I\u2019ve had two run ins with it across my career, once a facility I was working in had been doing some work on one of the units up on the front cooler dock and there was a small leak when bringing the unit back on line. After being allowed back in the building we had to clear all the product off the dock, actually ended up throwing it away, really just with an abundance of caution. Ended up being only that pungent smell that triggered its disposal, it was determined that there was not really a leak but some of the gas left in a closed off pipe. We had a plan, and everyone knew it so we\u2019d have all been safe if there had actually been a leak! A few years later I was asked to go to a sister company and help them clean up after they had an actual issue with it. A forklift driver had hit one of the pressured ammonia lines which triggered an evacuation. It was an actual release or spill and all the product had to be removed and properly destroyed. It was quite the expensive mess.
\nAnyway, when working at a facility that uses it for their refrigeration you\u2019ll be briefed or taught a lot about it and learn how to evacuate and stay away from it once outside. Ever see one of those wind socks out front or on the corners of a building? There located in positions of site, so you know which way the winds blowing and you don\u2019t run into the gas while exiting. Again, very dangerous stuff but like every other tool in our industry, treat it with respect, know how to handle it safely and adhere to all your safety procedures and it is safe and efficient to use.
\nSo, talking about all this makes me think of our HazCom or Hazardous Communication training. We all remember the hazcom talks at our facilities, right? Hazard communication, also known as HazCom,