Updated Ammonia Refrigeration Pipe Labeling Guidelines from Graphic Products
Portland, OR (PRWEB) July 15, 2014 -- On the heels of these resources is a 2014 guideline update from the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) which promotes education, information and industry standards for the safe and proper use of ammonia as a refrigerant. The big difference between the previous revision, published in 1991, and the 2014 update is that the new labels under the new guidelines are mostly orange while the old labels were mostly yellow.
The new recommendation also aligns with the suggested color scheme from ANSI/ASME A13.1, the single most common pipe marking standard. In the A13.1 standard, orange is for toxic materials (like anhydrous ammonia) while yellow is for flammable materials (like natural gas).
Anhydrous ammonia is commonly used as a refrigerant in food production, cold storage, wineries and breweries. Anhydrous ammonia refrigeration systems require pipe labeling as a matter of EPA and OSHA compliance. Constant relabeling is needed as companies grow and components need replacing. The ability to make labels continuously saves companies time and money vs. waiting for expensive outside suppliers. Anhydrous ammonia is considered a very high health risk that poses significant threat to those who work around it. It is corrosive to the skin, eyes, lungs, and can be deadly at elevated levels of exposure.
“Proper ammonia pipe marking is critical in facility safety and efficiency. Pipes containing ammonia require special designs. Graphic Products offers several industrial printers designed to print these labels for compliance and lasting performance in industrial settings,” said Steve Stephenson, Graphic Products.
Other ammonia-related resources include:
- An ammonia pipe marking guide which includes abbreviations for ammonia system components, a pipe marker size chart and a guide to pipe marker placement.
- Valve tag best practices guide. Often complementary to signs and labels, tags can be printed in a variety of colors on durable vinyl.
Jack Rubinger, Graphic Products Inc., http://www.graphicproducts.com, +1 (503) 469-3024, [email protected]
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