Final RETA Breeze_V2_MarchApril _2025

BY CLAUDIA SELZ, KOLBI PIPE MARKER CO. Anyone who has spent time working in industrial refrigeration understands that the scope of safety concerns extends far beyond the simple act of labeling pipes correctly. The environment is fraught with a variety of hazards that we face daily, each requiring constant attention and vigilance. Consider the sonic landscape created by powerful machinery, it is not just loud—it is hazardous. That is why hearing protec The Necessity of Labels Enhancing refrigeration safety and efficiency through proper pipe-identification practices. Reprinted from RSES Journal Spring 2025 issue. I n modern refrigeration facilities, an effective identification system means more than just labels on pipes. Walk into a facility’s machinery room or cold stor age warehouse, and you will immediately notice signs, valve tags, labels and mark ers everywhere. There is a good reason for this; proper identification is not just about following rules, it is about keeping people safe and operations running smoothly. Think of it as the facility’s Rosetta Stone, helping everyone from maintenance techni cians to emergency responders understand what they are looking at and how to handle it safely. In today’s increasingly complex facilities, communication has never been more important. Understanding pipe-marking standards It is no secret that industrial standards can seem overwhelming at first glance. There is ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A13.1 for pipe marking; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require ments for machine safety; International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines for equipment labeling; and International Institute of Ammonia Refrig eration (IIAR) 2-2021 for industrial refrig eration. However, there is a method to this madness. These standards were not created to make lives more complicated—they emerged from real-world experiences and incidents where better identification could have prevented problems. Take pipe-marking colors, for instance. For industrial refrigeration systems, colors used are yellow or “safety orange,” which is the newest standard to determine ammo nia lines; these are not just arbitrary rules. These colors are using a universal language that helps anyone walking into the facility quickly understand what they are dealing with. This becomes especially crucial when handling refrigerants or working with high pressure systems where mistakes can have serious consequences. Common safety issues in HVACR systems

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