A

MMONI
SAFETY A

Facilitator’s Guide
What’s Inside

Facilitator’s Guidelines
a Overview
b Getting Started
d Presentation Guidelines
f Lesson Plan
h Frequently Asked Questions

1 Introduction
3 What Anhydrous Ammonia Is
6 Potential Hazards
11 Working Safely

18 Summary
19 Quiz
22 Quiz Answers

© 2007 Summit Training Source® Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any means without written permission from Summit Training Source® Inc. If you wish to purchase additional copies,
please call our office at 1-800-447-3177.
 Overview

Imagine there’s a potentially hazardous chemical that’s used at your facility –

but you can’t see it. Instead, you have to rely on your sense of smell and sensor
equipment to warn you of a possible exposure. This is very much a reality for
those who work around ammonia pipes, containers, and systems, and, without
the proper training, their health and safety would be at risk.

It is critical that all employees, who

have the potential to be exposed to
ammonia, know the correct safety
procedures required to keep them-
selves and others safe. These safety
precautions have been developed to
help reduce the risk of an ammonia
exposure. Ensuring that employees
have a clear understanding of this
information helps to protect them,
the environment and a facility’s rep-
utation.

© Summit Training Source, Inc. a

 Getting Started

Presentation Materials
Collect all of the necessary materials and supplies before
beginning. Here are some suggested materials and supplies:

• Select a location that is free of distractions, has good lighting, and a

comfortable temperature.

• Desks and chairs arranged so that everyone will be able to see the
viewing screen, the facilitator, and each other.

• All media and audio-visual needs such as DVD, PowerPoint®

presentation, DVD player, computer, LCD projector, TV, and speakers.
Make sure that all items work as expected prior to your class.

• An employee handbook and pen/pencil for each trainee. Each

handbook includes a quiz at the back, which can be used to test
comprehension and document training.

• An employee handbook and pen/pencil for each trainee. Each hand-

book includes take-home information from this presentation.

• Other supplies and equipment you may need - blackboard/whiteboard,

chalk/markers, paper, handouts, pens/pencils, notepads, etc.

b © Summit Training Source, Inc.

Preparation
A successful presentation requires preparation and planning. Give
yourself several days before the session to get organized.

• Locate and schedule the presentation site as soon as

possible

• Notify attendees of the presentation date and time, the

presentation schedule, and proper dress.

• Obtain all necessary supplies.

• Make sure you know how to operate the TV, DVD player,
and other equipment. Replace or repair any damaged
equipment.

• Review all presentation materials, including the Facilitator’s

Guide, handouts, and any other reference materials.

• Prepare your presentation, including a lesson plan or

outline of the presentation. Include the presentation goals
and objectives. Some presentation guidelines are included on the
next page. A sample lesson plan has been included on page “f”
of this Facilitator’s Guide.

• Preview the video. Note any key points you want to expand upon
in your presentation.

© Summit Training Source, Inc. c

 Presentation Guidelines

How you organize this awareness presentation can have

a great impact on learning. By following these simple
presentation guidelines and keeping the objectives in mind, you
can effectively and efficiently get the most out of your session.

Organize Presentation Time Efficiently

In today’s busy work climate it can be difficult to find the time needed
for this type of presentation, so it is important to be organized and
well-prepared when you schedule sessions. Whether you use
Summit’s suggested lesson plan or not, it is important to have a
lesson plan prepared that you can implement comfortably, consistent
with course content and topics. This ensures that time spent is pro-
ductive and beneficial for everyone.

Stress the Purpose of the Presentation

Remember, the purpose of Summit’s Ammonia Safety Presentation is
to help employees recognize and understand the hazard’s associated
with ammonia in the workplace and how to prevent these hazards
from occurring.

Capture Their Attention

Your presentation needs to be interesting and compelling to
hold attendee’s attention. To help motivate workers, give them
specific evidence that their effort makes a difference and provide
feedback on their progress. Also, remember that the first
experience with a new subject usually forms a lasting impression
on the learner. By making that experience a positive one, you can
help ensure your audience retains the information learned.

d © Summit Training Source, Inc.

Make New Learning Experiences Pleasant
For some adults, past experiences with education were unpleas-
ant and not helpful. Adults learn best when they feel comfortable
and engaged in the process. By making the learning environment
open and friendly, you can help adults to feel secure in their new
learning experience. Offer support and feedback as often as pos-
sible, and be ready to provide extra attention to those who may
require it.

Ask If There are any Questions

When most adults learn new information that conflicts with what
they already know, they are less likely to integrate those new ideas.
It is very important to make sure participants fully understand the
presentation and do not have any unresolved questions. Provide
for a question and answer period so participants can resolve those
questions and/or answer questions throughout the session.

© Summit Training Source, Inc. e

 Lesson Plan

As the trainer, your job is to effectively communicate a great deal of

information in a well-organized manner. By preparing a presentation
plan, you can ensure that each minute of the session is productive.
Summit has provided a suggested plan for your use.

1. Program Objective
This guide reviews Ammonia Safety. In it, we will cover:
• What Anhydrous Ammonia Is
• Potential Hazards
• Working Safely

2. Show the Video: ”Ammonia Safety”

You may show segments by topic or the entire video at once.

3. Discussion and Demonstration

To help relate the presentation to your workplace, you may wish to
incorporate your own discussion topics and exercises. Key issues you
might consider include:
• What is the Emergency Action Plan at the worksite?
• Does this company have PSM and RMP programs?
• Where do I find information on what PPE is required for my job
tasks?

f © Summit Training Source, Inc.

4. Use Handbooks to Reinforce Presentation
The handbooks increase comprehension and reinforce the
information learned in the video by explaining the main points
and expanding on the original material. For increased
employee information retention, go over one section at a time
(including the corresponding video segment or segments) and
stop to answer questions.

5. Questions and Answers

Provide for a Q&A session to answer any questions. It may
be necessary to review some of the material when providing answers.

Other relevant Summit titles that might be of interest:

Disaster Readiness
Process Safety
Respiratory Safety Series
Valve Safety
Hydrogen Sulfide Safety

© Summit Training Source, Inc. g

 Frequently Asked Questions

How do you treat someone who has been exposed to ammonia?

You should immediately flush the affected area with lots of water as
ammonia bonds readily with moisture. This helps to draw the chemi-
cal away from human tissue. If you are in an area where water is not
available, you can use another nontoxic liquid such as cold coffee or
orange juice to clean the area. Along with flushing the affected area
for at least 15 minutes, always seek immediate medical attention.

What is the difference between PSM and RMP programs?

Although there are many similarities between the two pro-
grams there’s an important difference. PSM (Process Safety
Management) is an OSHA standard created to keep workers safe
while on the job. RMP (Risk Management Program) is a regulation
from the Environmental Protection Agency whose main purpose is
to protect the people and environment beyond a facility’s property.

h © Summit Training Source, Inc.

 Introduction

In nature, ammonia is everywhere. In outer space,

it’s found in galactic dust clouds.

On Earth, ammonia occurs naturally in soil, air and water, and is

formed whenever manure, plants and animals break down. Even
in the human body, ammonia is a natural by-product of protein and
nucleic acid metabolism.

Of course, nature isn’t the only place ammonia is found: man-made

ammonia is used in many industries. Though this industrial product
has the same chemical make-up as the ammonia found in nature,
there is one important difference: in nature, concentrations of
ammonia are usually at very low levels that pose little or no threat
to health. Ammonia produced for industry, on the other hand, is a
highly concentrated chemical that must be treated with care to avoid
injury.

In this handbook we will discuss:

• What Anhydrous Ammonia Is
• Potential Hazards
• Working Safely

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 1

 Introduction continued
Ranked by weight, in one recent
year, ammonia was the third most
common chemical produced in the
United States. Industrial grade
ammonia comes in two basic forms.
The first form, aqua ammonia, is
ammonia mixed with water – how
hazardous this liquid mixture is
varies depending on the ratio of
ammonia to water.
The second form of ammonia used
in industry is called anhydrous
2 © Summit Training Source, Inc.
ammonia. The word anhydrous
means “without water” and, just
as that name implies, this form
of ammonia is almost 100% pure.
Because it is highly concentrated,
anhydrous ammonia is very dan-
gerous if not handled correctly: it
is this form of ammonia that we’ll
focus on in this program.
 What Anhydrous Ammonia Is

Many industries use anhydrous ammonia. On

farms across the country, it’s used to help fertilize
soil.

In the food industry, it provides

an effective refrigerant for large
commercial freezers. And, in
the petroleum industry, anhy-
drous ammonia neutralizes the
acid constituents in crude oil
and protects equipment from
corrosion. In these industries
and others, safety training is
necessary when employees work
around this highly versatile, but
potentially hazardous chemical. as an ingredient in household
In a few minutes, we’ll discuss cleaning solutions, familiar for its
some general safety measures pungent odor. The near-pure or
that you can follow while on anhydrous ammonia that’s used in
the job to protect you and your many industries is a colorless gas
co-workers - but, first, let’s take that is lighter than air. If placed
a closer look at exactly what under pressure, however, anhy-
anhydrous ammonia is. drous ammonia is easily liquefied,
and it’s as a liquid under pres-
To a scientist, ammonia is a chem- sure that it is usually stored and
ical composed of one atom of nitro- transported. Whether in liquid
gen and three atoms of hydrogen or gas form, anhydrous ammonia
– on a chart of the elements its expands and contracts with chang-
chemical notation is NH3. To most es in temperature and pressure.
everyone else, ammonia is known

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 3

 What Anhydrous Ammonia Is
For example, if you fill a contain-
er to 90-percent of its capacity
with ammonia that’s at 0-degrees
Fahrenheit – then you raise the
temperature of the ammonia
from 0-degrees to 68-degrees –
the ammonia will expand, moving
the container from 90-percent full
to 99-percent full. At the same
time, the pressure in the contain-
er increases from 16 pounds per
square inch to 110 pounds per
4 © Summit Training Source, Inc.
continued
square inch. For this reason, a
tank that stores ammonia is usual-
ly considered to have an 85-percent
usable capacity. In other words,
15-percent of the tanks holding
capacity should be left unfilled to
allow for expansion.
What occurs in a situation where
ammonia that’s under pressure
does escape? Because it is under
pressure, if equipment fails,
ammonia is likely to escape very
rapidly. Once it’s released into
the atmosphere it evaporates, gen-
erally forming an invisible vapor
or cloud that will expand by 850
times. The liquid still within the
container quickly reaches its boil-
ing point. The boiling point for
anhydrous ammonia is very cold –
minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
Before we discuss how a release vulnerable to damage when they
scenario like this could put you come in contact with this chemical.
or another co-worker at risk,
there’s one more aspect of ammo-
nia that’s important to understand.
Anhydrous ammonia is a hydro-
scopic compound – this means
it seeks water from the nearest
source. This is helpful in many
industrial processes, but for human
health it poses a real risk.

Anhydrous ammonia, because it

contains no water, bonds especially
easily with water. This makes the
areas of the human body with a
high water content – the eyes, the
skin and the lungs – particularly

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 5

 Potential Hazards

When refrigeration systems and storage tanks

that contain ammonia are well-designed and
maintained, the risk of a spill or leak is
reduced – but cannot be entirely eliminated.

Whether the presence of that most people detect at lev-

ammonia is actually danger- els between 5 to 20 parts per
ous or not, depends in part million – well below the level
on how concentrated it is and of a dangerous concentration.
how long a worker is exposed.
The maximum safe exposure While that makes ammonia’s
level for ammonia, as set by strong odor a positive asset,
OSHA, is 50 parts per million it’s important to remember
– that means that ammonia
should not exceed 50 parts per
million over the course of an
8 hour day. At a concentra-
tion of 300 parts per million,
ammonia is considered imme-
diately dangerous to life and
health. Fortunately, though
ammonia is a colorless gas, it
has a strong, irritating odor

6 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

that workers should not use
smell alone to gauge whether
an area is safe – exposure to
ammonia can quickly dull the
sense of smell, and after a
few minutes a worker may no
longer notice that ammonia is
present.

Many companies have a policy

that workers must evacuate an
area when the ammonia level
reaches 25 ppm. Though this is
lower than OSHA’s 50 ppm stan-
dard, it provides an extra mea-
sure of safety that ensures the
OSHA standard isn’t exceeded.
Ammonia is not, strictly speaking,
a poison, and repeated exposure
does not produce additive effects
on the human body. However,
even when concentrations in the
air are small, ammonia can be
extremely irritating to the eyes,
nose, throat and lungs. Acute
exposures can cause symptoms
to the central nervous system,
chemical burns, blindness, lung
damage and death.

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 7

 Potential Hazards
When liquid ammonia is
released, it normally expands
into a lighter-than-air gas cloud,
and rises. Sometimes, however,
the escaping ammonia forms an
aerosol – this happens when
some of the ammonia forms drop-
lets or when the ammonia picks
up moisture in the environment
– in either case, the ammonia
cloud may become heavier than
air and stay low to the ground.
This makes it more likely that a
worker will come in contact with
the ammonia, putting them at
greater risk.
Remember that anhydrous ammo-
nia is a hydroscopic compound,
and seeks water from the nearest
source – for this reason, if a high
concentration of ammonia reach-
es the human body it can cause
severe damage. How? Ammonia is
8 © Summit Training Source, Inc.
continued
a strong alkali. Alkalis affect tis-
sues differently than acids. When
an acid burns the skin it tends to
seal off the wound. But an alkali
such as ammonia causes tissues to
liquefy – as ammonia turns tissue
into a sticky “goo” it mixes with
the tissue, causing further dam-
age. Left unchecked, this chemical
reaction continues to burn, with
the ammonia consuming as much
as six times its own weight in
moisture from any body tissue it
comes in contact with.
How does a person stop this
chemical reaction from causing
further injury? Because the
damage is caused by ammonia
bonding with moisture in the
body, the emergency treatment
for anyone who comes in contact
with ammonia is to flush the
affected area with water – lots of
water, as soon as possible. This
gives the ammonia an easier
source of moisture to bond with,
pulling the chemical away from
human tissue. If contact with
ammonia occurs and water is
not immediately available, other Besides the damage ammonia’s
nontoxic liquids such as cold cof- chemical reaction can cause,
fee or orange juice can be used. additional harm can occur when
Along with flushing the affected a hose ruptures or a valve is
area for at least 15 minutes, accidentally opened, and pres-
immediate medical attention surized liquid ammonia sprays
should also be sought. out. Recall that liquid ammonia
released into the atmosphere
reaches minus 28 degrees
Key Point Fahrenheit – if this subzero liq-
uid splashes onto the skin it can
If exposed to ammonia, quickly cause burns or frost-
bite similar to, but more severe
immediately flush the affect-
than, dry ice. If this occurs,
ed area for at least 15 min- it’s important to realize that
utes and promptly the spray is capable of freezing
seek medical attention. clothing to skin so that if cloth-
ing is removed incorrectly whole
sections of skin can be torn off.

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 9

 Potential Hazards continued

Finally, another type of hazard

that an ammonia release can pres-
ent is the possibility of causing
a fire or explosion. In order to
ignite, ammonia must have a con-
centration in the air of 15 to 28
percent. Above or below this fair-
ly narrow range ammonia is not
flammable – which helps explain
why ammonia-based fires or explo-
sions don’t occur more often. But the range at which the ammo-
if ammonia becomes contaminat- nia becomes flammable expands,
ed, for example, from lubricating making the possibility of a fire or
oil from a refrigeration system, explosion more likely.

10 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

 Working Safely

The best way to deal safely with ammonia is to

put in place procedures, technology and work
practices that help prevent contact between
workers and ammonia.

If the quantities of ammonia used
at your facility are large enough,
Process Safety Management and
the Risk Management Program,
or PSM and RMP for short, will
be an important part of this
process.
safe while on the job, and RMP
is a regulation overseen by the
EPA, which functions to pro-
tect the people and environment
beyond a facility’s property.

These two government programs

are similar in many ways – they
both provide guidelines for pro-
tecting against hazardous chem-
icals – the primary difference is
that PSM is an OSHA standard
concerned with keeping workers

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 11

 Working Safely continued

By completing the steps detailed

in the PSM standard and the RMP
regulation, a company creates pol-
icies that reduce the risk of a haz-
ardous incident from occurring;
if an incident does occur, guide-
lines are created that minimize the
resulting damage. Key elements
to these safety programs include:
compiling and analyzing accurate
information on hazardous chemi- participation – employees provide
cals as well as the equipment used valuable input during the devel-
in each covered process; providing opment and implementation of the
appropriate training for employ- safety program and, through a
ees on safe work practices and clear understanding of their roles
emergency operations; creating an and responsibilities, help maintain
investigative process to look in a safe work environment.
detail at any incident which either
does, or could have, resulted in So… if you are an employee who
the release of hazardous chemi- works around ammonia, what are
cals; and developing an emergency the specific things you can do to
action plan that provides employ- keep yourself safe? In this video,
ees and emergency personnel it’s not possible to provide detailed
with an affective and coordinated procedures for every one of the
response if an accidental chemical wide variety of applications and
release occurs. One of the most types of industry where ammonia
important elements in an effec- is used.
tive safety program is employee

12 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

Instead, we’ll take a brief look at
a very common industrial use of
ammonia – commercial refriger-
ation – and discuss some gener-
al safety principles that apply to
many other industrial uses as well.
Refrigeration systems work by
removing heat from an enclosed
area. To perform this work, a
chemical is needed that does a
good job of absorbing heat. In the
United States, the chemical, or
refrigerant, used in 90 percent of
all industrial refrigeration systems
is ammonia.
In these systems, the first line of
defense in preventing an acciden-
tal ammonia release is good safety
engineering. For example, to pre-
vent ammonia pipes from being
struck and ruptured by a forklift
or other moving equipment, the
pipes should be positioned away
from traffic, or a physical barri-
er should be used to protect the
© Summit Training Source, Inc.
pipes. Pipes, containers, valves
and fittings should all be made of
materials that are compatible with
ammonia – in ammonia installa-
tions, the most commonly used
material is carbon steel. Copper,
brass, bronze and zinc are rapidly
corroded by ammonia and should
never be used in system compo-
nents. All components should
be adequately identified: refrig-
eration system lines and valves
should be labeled or color-coded,
and the king valve and other emer-
gency isolation valves should be
identified with a large placard that
can be easily recognized by emer-
gency responders.
13
 Working Safely continued

While engineered features like

these reduce potential risks, just as
important to safety are the employ-
ees who keep the system running.
The ammonia refrigeration sys-
tem must be routinely monitored
– keeping an engine room log that
the chief engineer and refrigeration
technician sign off on each day,
can help ensure system parame-
ters such as temperature and pres-
sure levels are watched closely.
Since ammonia is most danger- Following the manufacturer’s rec-
ous in confined spaces, the safest ommendations, all parts of the sys-
location for an ammonia distribu- tem should be included in a written
tion system is outdoors, in an area preventive maintenance program
where accidental damage is unlike- that also includes routine inspec-
ly, but maintenance personnel have tions. As part of maintenance,
easy access. Inside the building, ammonia detectors should be regu-
ammonia detection sensors
are a critical component
engineered into most mod-
ern facilities – sensors are
particularly important when
refrigerated storage systems
and compressor rooms are
unattended, such as at night.
Besides alerting workers and
local emergency responders
that an ammonia leak has
occurred, a detection system
can automatically shut-down
or isolate parts of a system to
limit the amount of ammonia
that escapes.

14 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

larly calibrated against
a known standard,
and alarms should be
tested. Tanks, pipes,
valves and cylinders
should be frequent-
ly checked for signs
of rust or corrosion –
any parts that have
deteriorated should be
replaced as needed. At
least four times a year,
leak tests must be per-
formed on the system.
If an employee reports an ammo- generally requires additional PPE,
nia odor, however, than an imme- such as eye protection. When gog-
diate leak test must be performed gles are worn, according to OSHA: “It
so that repairs can be made if nec- is preferable that the goggles be gas
essary. Methods which can be used tight; however, unventilated goggles
for leak testing include sulfur sticks, tend to steam up, especially in hot
litmus paper, or a portable monitor or cold weather. Ventilated, splash-
equipped with a flexible probe. proof goggles are more comfortable
and will provide adequate protec-
The type of PPE required is deter- tion in most instances. In addition,
mined by the potential exposure where splashing may occur, wear a
level. For example, transferring full-face shield to protect the face.”
ammonia from one vessel to another

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 15

 Working Safely continued

When hand protection is required,

ammonia-resistant gloves, such
as neoprene, are recommended –
these should be insulated to pre-
vent freezing of the skin. Other
protective gear includes ammo-
nia-resistant rain suits or slickers,
and boots.

Respiratory protection is needed

when the ambient concentration
of ammonia exceeds 25 parts per
million – for low level exposures, an
air purifying, full-faced respirator
equipped with chemical cartridges
appropriate for ammonia can be
used. If the possibility of exposure
above 300 parts per million exists,
however, use a self-contained
breathing apparatus, or SCBA,
with a full facepiece operated in
a pressure-demand or other posi-
tive-pressure mode.
If you have questions about your
exposure risk, it’s important to
check with your supervisor to
make sure that adequate PPE is
being used for the operation you’re
performing.
Of course, many employees at this
facility are not directly involved
with keeping the ammonia system
running properly. But even if your
job never takes you anywhere near
the ammonia equipment room, or
the controls of the system, it is
important to remember that safety
is every employee’s responsibility.
If you drive a forklift, or oper-

16 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

ate other mobile equipment, know
where the ammonia pipes and
valves are located in your area, so
that you can avoid making contact
with them. While on the job, if you
smell ammonia, report it imme-
diately to your supervisor. Don’t
wait, or assume someone else will
report it. It is important that
management be informed as soon
as possible, so that – if there is an
ammonia leak – it can be repaired
before a more serious ammonia
© Summit Training Source, Inc.
exposure occurs. Finally, recognize
that even in a well-engineered sys-
tem, the possibility of an accident
exists. If a warning alarm goes off
in your work area, would you know
what to do? Do you know what
your facility’s evacuation policy is?
To protect yourself, you need to
have this information before you
need it; if you are unfamiliar with
your facility’s Emergency Action
Plan talk to your supervisor or
company’s safety professional.
17
 Summary

In commercial refrigeration, and • If exposed to ammonia, flush

for many other industrial uses, the affected area at least 15
ammonia is the chemical of choice. minutes and seek immediate
But it’s a chemical that requires medical care.
care in its use. To minimize your
risk of injury, remember these If you have any questions about
safety principles every time you working with ammonia, or other
work around ammonia: safety issues at your facility, ask
• When storing ammonia, fill a your supervisor. For a safety pro-
tank to no more than 85 gram to be effective every employ-
percent of its capacity. ee must understand their role in
• Avoid exposures above the ­ preventing accidents. By becom-
maximum safe exposure level: ing well-informed and working as
50 parts per million over the a team, employees at this facility
course of an 8 hour day. help create a safe and healthy
• Know your facility’s work environment.
emergency evacuation policy.
• If applicable, participate in
your company’s PSM and
RMP ­programs.
• Follow your company’s
written policy on preventive ­
maintenance and inspection.
• Use the appropriate PPE for
the task you are performing.

18 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

 Quiz

To review your knowledge of Ammonia Safety , answer the

­q uestions below.

Your Name Date

1. Ammonia can only be found on farms, in the food industry, and

the petroleum industry.
a. True b. False

2. In liquid and gas form, anhydrous ammonia expands and

contracts with changes in temperature.
a. True b. False

3. When storing ammonia in a tank, what percentage of the tank

should be left unfilled to allow for expansion?
a. 15%
b. 20%
c. 75%
d. 85%

4. What is the boiling point for anhydrous ammonia?

a. 28 degrees Fahrenheit
b. 32 degrees Fahrenheit
c. -28 degrees Fahrenheit
d. -32 degrees Fahrenheit

5. Refrigeration systems and storage tanks that are well-designed

and maintained can completely eliminate any risk of a leak or
spill.
a. True b. False

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 19

 Quiz continued

6. According to OSHA, what is the maximum safe exposure level

for ammonia over the course of an eight hour day?
a. 10 ppm
b. 20 ppm
c. 30 ppm
d. 40 ppm
e. 50 ppm

7. Most people can detect ammonia at levels between 5 to 20 ppm,

which is well above the dangerous level.
a. True b. False

8. What parts of the body can be irritated by small amounts of

ammonia? Select all that apply.
a. eyes
b. nose
c. throat
d. lungs
e. small amounts of ammonia never cause harm to the body

9. When exposed to ammonia, which of the following should be done

as soon as possible?
a. flush the affected area with water for at least 15 minutes
b. wait until your shift is over to flush the affected area
c. seek medical attention
d. All of the above
e. Only a and c are correct

10. What percent of ammonia needs to be in the air to be explosive or

at risk of causing a fire?
a. 5% to 10%
b. 10% to 15%
c. 15% to 28%
d. 28% to 32%

20 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

11. In an ammonia system, pipes, containers, valves and fittings
containing ammonia must be made of copper, brass, bronze,
or zinc.
a. True b. False

12. A leak test must be performed on the ammonia refrigeration

system at least four times a year.
a. True b. False

13. The type of PPE required when working around ammonia is

determined by the potential exposure level.
a. True b. False

14. If the possibility of an ammonia exposure exits at levels above

300 ppm, what type of respiratory protection is required?
a. dust mask
b. a half-mask, air-purifying respirator
c. a full-faced, air-purifying respirator
d. a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) operated in a
positive pressure mode.

15. If you think you smell ammonia while on the job, you should wait
until the end of your shift to report it to your supervisor.
a. True b. False

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 21

 Quiz Answers

1. b False
2. a True
3. a 15%
4. c -28 degrees Fahrenheit
5. b False
6. e 50 ppm
7. b False
8. a eyes
b nose
c throat
d lungs
9. e Only a and c are correct
10. c 15% to 28%
11. b False
12. a True
13. a True
14. d a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) operated in a
positive pressure mode.
15. b False

22 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

 Notes

© Summit Training Source, Inc. 23

 Notes

24 © Summit Training Source, Inc.

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