2023 RETA Breeze Jan-Feb

people safe and your facility compliant. Do not get me started on all of the PSM/ RMP/ARM binders that many facilities keep their documentation in (we are killing trees people). An electronic library can save shelf space and provide better accessibility. I understand that having printed copies available for those who may not be tech savvy provides accessibil ity but investing in training to adapt to the technology is also helpful in a multitude of ways. Sarah Selzer is Compliance Specialist for APSM. Her opinions are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her teammates at APSM. She has the distinction of having held a RETA chapter office as a teenager, the privi lege of growing up in a refrigeration contracting firm, and the curse of thinking about refrigeration compliance all the time (yes, even in her sleep).

to add a third signature to the form, which I think was the Plant Manager. The third signature did no good. Requiring a signature from someone who does not understand the procedure results in one of two things: Either you are forcing someone to lie, or you are forcing the Plant Manager to become an ammonia technician. Neither of these scenarios are good. How about holding the two signatures already on the form accountable? What is written in your policies and procedures is also crucially important. If your policy says that you must have 2 signatures on your MOC, you better have 2 signatures. These documents need to be reviewed often for accuracy. If your documentation says you are doing some- thing, you better be doing it. If your procedure is wrong or unnecessary, change it. Enforce what is in writing. It is the easiest thing you can do to keep

Another thing I learned early; bureaucracy is not required. Some safety people love hundred-page policies and compliance manuals measured by the linear foot. I know these people exist; my dad is one of them. Eliminate bureaucracy whenever you can. Do not write a 20-page policy if a 5-page policy will do. If a 5-page policy will not do, then write 20 pages. Do what needs to be done to be safe instead of wasting your energy on pages that do not add value. I will throw out one of my dad’s stories as proof. A facility had a policy that required the service technician and the maintenance manager to sign off on relief valve changes. Both had to verify that the valve being removed was identical to the valve being installed. An incident occurred where a 150 PSIG relief valve was installed in place of a 250 PSIG relief valve, and it caused an ammonia release. The company decided

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