The response actions for leak incidents of liquefied ammonia leaks in the working environment

Abstract

     Ammonia (NH₃) is a colorless, corrosive gas in the presence of moisture, highly toxic and  characteristic odor. In addition, ammonia is considered flammable at concentrations above 15% by volume in air. The Ministry of Public Health¹ sets an exposure limit of 8 hours/shift, 40 hours/workweek at 17 ppm and a short exposure limit for 15 minutes, at 25 ppm. Currently, ammonia is considered one of the most produced substances for many applications, mainly as refrigerants due to its high thermodynamic efficiency and low cost. Ammonia is highly toxic to humans and the environment when leaks occur ². For factories located in residential areas, when ammonia leaks, it will endanger the surrounding residential community. However, evacuation takes time and is not fast enough compared to the rate at which ammonia is traveling downwind. That's why evacuations are often likely to fail to protect workers and surrounding populations or not be possible. This paper presents some techniques to respond to ammonia leaks in high-density areas.