AMMONIA AWARENESS Copyright 2008 Last updated June 12, 2016 Ammonia Process Safety Management

Ammonia Awareness Training WHO IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE AMMONIA AWARENESS TRAINING? Any individual who works on-site where anhydrous ammonia is stored or used; and, who may witness or discover an ammonia release is required to receive and understand AMMONIA AWARENESS TRAINING If an employee has no specific ammonia related responsibilities and has received no other ammonia related training he/she should take no further action beyond evacuating to a designated emergency assembly point and notifying proper authorities of the release.

Ammonia Awareness Training WHAT ARE THE MAJOR HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH AMMONIA? INHALATION: Ammonia gas is extremely odorous and is readily detectable at levels well below those which cause lasting effects. It is extremely irritating to the mucous membranes and lung tissues. SKIN CONTACT: Contact with vapor concentrations higher than the IDLH value can result in irritation to moist areas of the body. INGESTION: Swallowing liquid ammonia will result in immediate pain and burns to the mouth and esophagus. EYE CONTACT: The eye is 90% water and is the body organ most vulnerable to damage from ammonia. Above the IDLH value there will be extreme eye irritation with involuntary closure of the eyes and visual impairment. Liquid ammonia will very rapidly cause serious burns to the eye and can result in permanent blindness.

Ammonia Awareness Training HOW DO I RECOGNIZE AND IDENTIFY THE PRESENCE OF AMMONIA? Smell is by far the most important means of identifying the presence of ammonia. The strong, pungent and irritating smell gives early and positive warning that ammonia is present. The smell is easily recognized as the smell of ammonia based cleaning solutions.

Ammonia Awareness Training HOW DO I RECOGNIZE AND IDENTIFY THE PRESENCE OF AMMONIA? If ammonia liquid is released to the atmosphere in larger quantities, such as from a broken ammonia liquid line under pressure, a dense cold ammonia cloud will be formed. Ammonia can be present as a clear and colorless gas, and cannot be seen as it looks like air. Ammonia vapor can also be seen as a white misty cloud or fog. Cold ammonia vapor rising above a container will condense moisture in the air into a cloud or fog.

Ammonia Awareness Training AMMONIA LIQUID Ammonia liquid is clear and colorless and boils at -28° F. Under atmospheric conditions, it acts as a refrigerant (as it evaporates or boils) and removes heat from any warmer object it contacts. Accordingly, liquid ammonia in contact with the skin can cause frostbite. A liquid release will usually be accompanied by a white vapor cloud and a strong ammonia odor. A portion of ammonia liquid (approximately 25%) will vaporize into a gas immediately upon release from pressurized containment. The remaining liquid will accumulate into a very cold (approximately -28°F) pool of liquid. Ammonia liquid released from a dense, pressurized container will form a white aerosol" cloud.

Ammonia Awareness Training AMMONIA GAS Ammonia gas is corrosive and basic. Ammonia liquid has a boiling point of -28° F. and it may condense when under pressure and/or when cooled. It has a distinct sharp, unpleasant odor. It is irritating to the skin, especially the eyes (because of the moisture content of the eye), upper respiratory system and all tissues, especially those that are moist. An inhalation of concentrated fumes (above 5000 ppm) will be rapidly fatal. Prompt medical attention should be sought if personnel are exposed to ammonia gas. Contact lenses should not be worn while working with ammonia gas.

Ammonia Awareness Training PRESSURE/TEMPERATURE RELATIONSHIP When ammonia liquid and vapor both exist in a closed container, they exhibit the classic equilibrium relationship between pressure and temperature:  Pressure, Temperature

Ammonia Awareness Training THERMAL EXPANSION Liquid ammonia that exists in pipes or containers without a vapor phase present will exert tremendous pressure from thermal expansion. This thermal expansion (hydrostatic expansion) has been the cause of many ruptured cylinders and piping systems.

Ammonia Awareness Training MAX. FILL LEVEL IS 86.5% FOR AMMONIA Great care must be taken to avoid trapping liquid ammonia between closed block valves or over-filling tanks or other containment vessels. Industry standards permit filling of storage tanks to only 86.5% to accommodate potential liquid expansion due to temperature increases without eliminating all vapor space and creating a "skin-tight" full condition.

Ammonia Awareness Training TABLE OF IMPORTANT PHYSICAL PROPERTIES PropertyConditionValue Molecular Weight ColorNone Physical StateRoom TempGas Density60° F5.2 lbs/gal Freezing PointP=1 atm-108° F Boiling PointP=1 atm-28.1° F Critical Pressure 1657 psig Critical Temp 271° F Specific Gravity32° F/1 atm/vap.596 Specific Gravity60° F/Liquid.62 Specific Volume32° F/1 atm/vap20.8 ft3/lb Odor Threshold 5-50 ppm Upper Flam Lim 25-28% Lower Flam Lim15-16% Ignition TempNo Catalyst1204° F

Ammonia Awareness Training HOW MUCH AMMONIA CAN I SAFELY BREATH? 5 ppm - You can smell it 50 ppm - The OSHA permissible exposure limit is 50 ppm (parts per million). More than 50 ppm can harm you long term. 500 ppm - IDLH – Immediate Danger to Life & Health (The actual IDLH value is 300 ppm) ppm - is a deadly concentration of ammonia. BASIC RULES: DO NOT enter a visible cloud of ammonia. If you smell ammonia, BE CONCERNED, Move out of the cloud to fresh air as soon as possible and immediately notify others. NH Rule of 5 3

Ammonia Awareness Training WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I DISCOVER AN AMMONIA RELEASE? If you smell Ammonia, see a white vapor cloud of ammonia, or hear an alarm, do the following immediately:  Evacuate the affected area.  Notify everyone in the affected and surrounding areas. Be sure to include supervision.  Assemble at the designated assembly area to be counted.

Ammonia Awareness Training WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR AMMONIA EXPOSURE TO SKIN AND EYES? AMMONIA HAS A VERY STRONG AFFINITY FOR WATER Water spray (from a fog nozzle) will wash ammonia vapor out of the air. Large quantities of water (15 minutes of continued flushing) are recommended for washing contaminated skin areas or for eye contact. RULE: For an eye exposed to ammonia, hold the eyelid open and wash for 15 minutes with water.

Ammonia Awareness Training WHAT ARE THE EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID TREATMENTS FOR AMMONIA EXPOSURE? INHALATION: 1. Remove the victim from exposure. 2. Administer artificial respiration (or oxygen) if breathing has stopped. 3. Seek Medical Aid. SKIN CONTACT: 1. Immediately flush with large quantities of water and continue for at least 15 minutes. 2. Do not remove clothing if frozen to skin. 3. Seek Medical Aid. EYE CONTACT: 1. Immediately flush with large quantities of water and continue for at least 15 minutes. 2. Seek Medical Aid. INGESTION: 1. Do not induce vomiting. Give 1-2 glasses of milk or water. 2. Seek Medical Aid.

Ammonia Awareness Training HOW DO I RECOGNIZE AMMONIA SYSTEMS FROM PLACARDS, PIPES, AND EQUIPMENT LABELING? The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed a Chemical Hazard Classification system to identify and rate the hazards of ammonia. Each of these three hazards can range between 0 and 4 with 0 being no hazard and with 4 being the greatest hazard. The six o’clock quadrant is reserved for optional specific hazard information for ammonia this could contain “ALK” to signify the alkaline nature of the material. Ammonia Tanks will be labeled with the words “AMMONIA” or “ANHYDROUS AMMONIA”. Ammonia lines may be color coded and/or labeled with marking such as those shown to the left. ReactivityHealth Flammability 0-No Hazard 1-Slight Hazard 2-Dangerous 3-Extreme Danger 4-Deadly

Ammonia Awareness Training HAZARD RATINGS OF AMMONIA Hazard TypeRatingExplanation of Rating Health 3 Primarily due to the corrosive effects to skin and irreversible eye damage. Fire 1 Because although the gas does have a flammable range, "it is difficult to burn.“ Reactivity 0 Because ammonia does not react violently with many substances.

Ammonia Awareness Training OFF-SITE CONSEQUENCES FOR AMMONIA Because ammonia is a "liquefied gas under pressure" it will form a vapor cloud that quickly moves off-site when ammonia is released to the atmosphere. When the concentration of ammonia in the vapor cloud is above 200 ppm it is considered to have potential harmful consequence to the health of a person exposed to it for 1hour or longer Every plant with ammonia on-site must identify how far such a harmful vapor cloud could spread under worst case conditions.

Ammonia Awareness Training WHERE (AND WHY) DO I ASSEMBLE TO BE COUNTED IF AN EVACUATION IS REQUIRED? Your company is required to post an evacuation plan that should be followed in the event of an ammonia release. The evacuation guide will include a primary assembly point and perhaps an alternate assembly point that may be based on the wind direction. Your company also has the responsibility for the safe evacuation of all employees and plant visitors during an ammonia release emergency. If you, as an employee, or a “signed in” plant visitor were to leave the plant site during an ammonia release emergency without being accounted for, emergency response personnel may be required to search for you in an area contaminated with ammonia vapor. If you will wait at the evacuation meeting area until you are counted you will minimize the exposure risk to emergency response personnel.