Graphic Products Provides Website Resources for Those Exposed to Anhydrous Ammonia

Anhydrous ammonia has made a lot of news lately - with an ammonia leak on the International Space Station and the recent devastating fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. Graphic Products, a leading manufacturer of industrial labeling systems, provides products and resources for those who work closely with this highly dangerous compound.

While investigations in Texas are underway, Graphic Products provides a one-stop safety resource - www.pipemarkers.com - for anhydrous ammonia pipe marking supplies, a wide range of labeling systems, and pipe marking literature, including a concise one-page guide which summarizes the requirements that need to be met when labeling ammonia pipes based on the standards of the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR).

Ammonia plays a large part in the hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) boom underway in North Dakota and other Midwestern and eastern states. To supply this need, large contracts are being awarded for new ammonia factories, most notably a new $850-million ammonia plant to be built in Waggaman, LA, a $700-million ammonia plant to be built in St. James Parish, LA, a $1.4-billion plant in Iowa, and a $1.2-billion plant in North Dakota. Every pipe that carries ammonia needs to be properly labeled to let workers know what the contents are, the direction of flow, potential hazards, and preventative measures. Following the correct requirements and standards will ensure that the facility is ANSI/ASME- and OSHA-compliant.

To ensure identification when labeling anhydrous ammonia pipes, each pipe marker uses two markers to indicate liquid/vapor and one to indicate pressure level. The marker should be printed with black text on a yellow background to indicate that it is flammable.

“On behalf of our customers, we’ve developed an expertise in pipe marking over the course of more than 40 years and have introduced oil, chemical, and UV-resistant supplies used in pipe marking applications,” said Steve Stephenson, Graphic Products. “We’re constantly sourcing new supplies and labeling systems to accommodate a wide range of workplace environments.”

Graphic Products has also compiled several anhydrous ammonia safety training resources, including:

• The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration, www.IIAR.org
• The Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA), www.reta.com
• Garden City Community College ammonia refrigeration operator training, www.nh3gccc.com
• The Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Fertilization and Chemical Association offers a joint training program, www.agr.state.il.us/newsrels/r0312131.html 

For more information, visit www.DuraLabel.com, call 800-788-5572 or email Jack Rubinger at jarubinger@graphicproducts.com.

Proper Labeling Brings Order and Safety to Chaos

Adds, moves, and changes are a nightmare for facility managers – compounded by twisted and tangled cable.

Twisted and tangled cables are a nightmare for facility managers and IT teams responsible for troubleshooting telecom closets – especially when companies make significant departmental adds, moves, and changes which impact cable installation.

Every cable needs to be tagged on each end – the beginning and the end -- with a unique identifier number. Cable label identifier numbers are typically 18 characters long, and should include outlet location and closet information. 

Most cable ports are gapped by very little space and the box may contain dozens or even hundreds of ports, accounting for quite a mass of wires. Add to this the fact that each time cables are added or moved, it’s probably done in a hurry with little concern for the ability to identify that cable’s purpose. Understandably, the administration of a cabling system is a task best suited for hyper-organized individuals.

The other challenge for cable experts is the sheer volume of cables and labels needed for large installations. For a major university, Sean Emmett, Leaden and Associates, ran some 10,000 to 12,000 cable labels. A recent build up for a data center required 80,000 data cable labels.

Telecom rooms are closets typically located in places no one really wants to go – the lowest real estate value in any building. Though largely invisible to the average person, these cables connect phones, alarms, servers, computers, and video images. Add months or years of heavy dust to the already confusing state of most buildings’ telecommunications rooms, and facility managers may have a challenge that feels insurmountable. Imagine the panic when it’s time to disconnect, rearrange or reconfigure those kinked up cables when your company adds a new division, moves an entire department or changes IT support teams?

Leaden and his team recommend labeling these components in the administration of cable.

• Patch panel
• Closet name and number (for multi-campus facilities)
• Horizontal and backbone cables

“The biggest change my clients have had to deal with the past couple of years is growth and the need to add capacity for it,” said Rick Bohan, Chagrin River Consulting. “Visual methods help you discern at a glance whether your processes are under control or not. Without proper cables, discovery time gets expensive – averaging about $100 + time and half for labor costs.”

Finally, there are your disasters. There’s no need to be paranoid. Just be prepared. In one recent New York City event, a back hoe knocked out all the telecom in a 10 block grid including a major hospital for 3 weeks. This could have been a major health, safety and business disaster. Instead, because the components were clearly identified, a back-up system was quickly installed.

The more preparation conducted in advance, the smoother these transitions go and the flow of work is uninterrupted. “All battles are won before the fighting starts,” explained Sean Emmett, Leaden and Associates.

Something to remember about corporate staff is that people leave – sometimes suddenly. You don’t want critical telecom information just stored in someone’s head, so it’s important for system administrators to maintain plans and diagrams on an Excel spreadsheet, kept up to date in a live, dynamic environment.

Aiding the process of telecom labeling for adds, moves, and changes are industry standards: 

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standards updated in 2009 make locating, repairing, and upgrading these systems much easier. The ANSI/TIA/EIA-606A Administration Standard for Telecommunication -- most people call it the 606A -- was specifically created for technicians to improve legibility and upgrade the professional appearance of installations through proper labeling of components. The goal is to know exactly what components exist in the system, where they are installed, and how they are connected.

Specifically, 606A calls for labeling visibility (size, color and contrast) and durability. The standard calls for a uniform labeling format that indicates the type, location and purpose of all cables and end-points plus color-coding for faster and easier identification of all elements. Labels must be moisture, heat and UV-resistant, demonstrate a long-life and must be created or printed with a mechanical device as handwritten labels may be illegible.

In the grand scheme of things, a new labeling standard may not seem like a big deal, but when the phones and computers aren’t working because the cables are taking a long time to fix, everyone from business owners, to installers, to building dwellers suffer the pain of losing productivity, time and money. So it’s important to know which cable leads to which piece of equipment.

DuraLabel shrink tubes and color-coded self-laminating wire wraps provide two proven solutions to marking and identifying wires and cables. Shrink tubes are made from polyolefin -- a very flexible, specially formulated cross-linked material with a 3:1 shrink ratio, thin wall, and high flame-retardance. Shrink tubes provide a permanent label that tightly adheres to the wire. Industrial labeling systems make it easy to create clear identifying information using text, barcodes, numbers and graphics. Users slip the shrink tube over the end of a cable or wire and use a heat gun to shrink the tube.

The result is a tight fitting, permanent label. With its thin wall, the shrink tube is pliable and can flex along with whatever it encases. Shrink tube material comes in 25 foot rolls

While shrink tubes can only be applied before a wire is terminated, self-laminating wire wraps are ideal for labeling wires that are terminated. One inch labels wrap around wires as narrow as 0.078” (12 gauge). A clear “tail” that wraps over the printed portion of the label provides long-lasting protection. A major benefit? Color-coding makes identification easy.

And you may even be able to free up that hyper-organized employee for other tasks.

Author bio

Jack Rubinger,   Graphic Products, has been writing about a wide range of safety and industrial topics for more than 10 years. Graphic Products, www.GraphicProducts.com, is world leader in facility identification solutions. For more information, email jarubinger@graphicproducts.com or call 877.534.5157.

NFPA Standards Incorporated by Reference

Written by Guest Blogger; Kahlilah Guyah 

 
Did you know the following 36 National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) standards and any revisions thereafter are incorporated by reference into the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations per 29 CFR 1910.6? This means that an OSHA audit can yield findings from these standards in addition to those cited directly in 29 CFR 1904, 1910 or 1926.  

You can obtain free read-only access to the standards by creating a login at the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) website, clicking on the tab entitled Codes & Standards, then clicking on the left menu item entitled “Document Information pages (List of NFPA codes & standards)” and then clicking on the code in which you’re interested.  I find that in practice I use NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code and NFPA 505 Standard for Type Designations, Areas of Use, Maintenance, and Operation of Powered Industrial Trucks the most. Here’s a list of others that may be needed for compliance.

1.      NFPA 30 (1969) Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, IBR approved for §1910.178(f) (1).

2.      NFPA 32-1970 Standard for Dry Cleaning Plants, IBR approved for §1910.106 (j) (6) (i)

3.      NFPA 33-1969 Standard for Spray Finishing Using Flammable and Combustible Material, IBR approved for § 1910.94(c) (2).

4.      NFPA 34-1966 Standard for Dip Tanks Containing Flammable or Combustible Liquids, IBR approved for §1910.124(b) (4) (iv).

5.      NFPA 34-1995 Standard for Dip Tanks Containing Flammable or Combustible Liquids, IBR approved for §1910.124(b) (4) (ii).

6.      NFPA 35-1970 Standard for the Manufacture of Organic Coatings, IBR approved for §1910.106(j) (6) (ii).

7.      NFPA 36-1967 Standard for Solvent Extraction Plants, IBR approved for §1910.106(j) (6) (iii).

8.      NFPA 37-1970 Standard for the Installation and Use of Stationary Combustion Engines and Gas Turbines, IBR approved for §§1910.106(j) (6) (IV) and 1910.110(b) (20) (IV) (c) and (e) (11).

9.      NFPA 51B-1962 Standard for Fire Protection in Use of Cutting and Welding Processes, IBR approved for §1910.252(a) (1) introductory text.

10.  NFPA 54-1969 Standard for the Installation of Gas Appliances and Gas Piping, IBR approved for §1910.110(b) (20) (IV) (a).

11.  NFPA 54A-1969 Standard for the Installation of Gas Piping and Gas Equipment on Industrial Premises and Certain Other Premises, IBR approved for §1910.110(b) (20) (iv) (b).

12.  NFPA 58-1969 Standard for the Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases (ANSI Z106.1-1970), IBR approved for §§1910.110(b) (3) (IV) and (i) (3) (i) and (ii); and 1910.178(f) (2).

13.  NFPA 59-1968 Standard for the Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases at Utility Gas Plants, IBR approved for §§1910.110(b) (3) (IV) and (i) (2) (IV).

14.  NFPA 62-1967 Standard for the Prevention of Dust Explosions in the Production, Packaging, and Handling of Pulverized Sugar and Cocoa, IBR approved for §1910.263(k)(2)(i).

15.  NFPA 68-1954 Guide for Explosion Venting, IBR approved for §1910.94(a) (2) (iii).

16.  NFPA 78-1968 Lightning Protection Code, IBR approved for §1910.109(i) (6) (ii).

17.  NFPA 80-1968 Standard for Fire Doors and Windows, IBR approved for §1910.106(d) (4) (i).

18.  NFPA 80-1970 Standard for the Installation of Fire Doors and Windows, IBR approved for § 1910.253(f) (6) (i) (I).

19.  NFPA 86A-1969 Standard for Oven and Furnaces Design, Location and Equipment, IBR approved for §§1910.107(j) (1) and (l) (3) and 1910.108(b) (2) and (d) (2).

20.  NFPA 91-1961 Standard for the Installation of Blower and Exhaust Systems for Dust, Stock, and Vapor Removal or Conveying (ANSI Z33.1-61), IBR approved for §1910.107(d)(1).

21.  NFPA 91-1969 Standards for Blower and Exhaust Systems, IBR approved for §1910.108(b) (1).

22.  NFPA 96-1970 Standard for the Installation of Equipment for the Removal of Smoke and Grease Laden Vapors from Commercial Cooking Equipment, IBR approved for §1910.110(b) (20) (iv) (d).

23.  NFPA 101-1970 Code for Life Safety from Fire in Buildings and Structures, IBR approved for §1910.261(a) (4) (ii).

24.  NFPA 101-2009, Life Safety Code, 2009 edition, IBR approved for § § 1910.34, 1910.35, 1910.36, and 1910.37.

25.  NFPA 203M-1970 Manual on Roof Coverings, IBR approved for §1910.109(i) (1) (iii) (c).

26.  NFPA 251-1969 Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, IBR approved for §§1910.106(d) (3) (ii) introductory text and (d) (4) (i).

27.  NFPA 302-1968 Fire Protection Standard for Motor-Craft (Pleasure and Commercial), IBR approved for §1910.265(d) (2) (IV) introductory text.

28.  NFPA 385-1966 Recommended Regulatory Standard for Tank Vehicles for Flammable and Combustible Liquids, IBR approved for §1910.106(g) (1) (i) (e) (1).

29.  NFPA 496-1967 Standard for Purged Enclosures for Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Locations, IBR approved for §1910.103(c) (1) (ix) (e) (1).

30.  NFPA 505-1969 Standard for Type Designations, Areas of Use, Maintenance, and Operation of Powered Industrial Trucks, IBR approved for §1910.110(e) (2) (iv).

31.  NFPA 566-1965 Standard for the Installation of Bulk Oxygen Systems at Consumer Sites, IBR approved for §§1910.253(b) (4) (IV) and (c) (2) (v).

32.  NFPA 656-1959 Code for the Prevention of Dust Ignition in Spice Grinding Plants, IBR approved for §1910.263(k) (2) (i).

33.  NFPA 1971-1975 Protective Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting, IBR approved for § 1910.156(e) (3) (ii) introductory text.

34.  NFPA 51A (2001) Standard for Acetylene Cylinder Charging Plants, IBR approved for § 1910.102(b) and (c).

35.  NFPA 51A (2006) Standard for Acetylene Cylinder Charging Plants, IBR approved for § 1910.102(b) and (c).

36.  NFPA 30B, Code for the Manufacture and Storage of Aerosol Products, 2007 Edition, Approved August 17, 2006, IBR approved for Appendix B to § 1910.1200.

Do you have questions about environmental, health or safety regulations? You may contact us via email at info@ehscsi.com.

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Kahlilah Guyah is the President of EHS Compliance Services Inc. a company that implements, maintains and improves environmental, health and safety (EHS) programs for small and mid-sized companies. She has more than 10 years of experience in EHS in delivering compliance solutions and management systems. This article was originally published on her blog EHS Compliance Times.