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Comment by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on April 24, 2011 at 4:50pm

"Fire officials were concerned that the ammonia used in the facility’s massive refrigerators, which runs in pipes throughout the building and is stored in tanks, could have ignited and sent toxic gas into the city.

Bob Kirkland, who has worked at the building as an engineer for 20 years, said he shut down the refrigeration system, but added that liquid ammonia remained in the pipes.

If the ammonia had ignited, he said, “none of us would be standing here.”

Watsonville Fire Chief Bisbee said that a hazardous materials team was monitoring the smoke to see if any poisonous gas was being released. If so, fire officials would have considered evacuating residents.

But that, he said, was a last resort.

“We’re not going to do evacuations unless we need to,” he said.

So... tell me again why we, as firefighters, tolerate lobbyists successful efforts to retain anhydrous ammonia's hazardous classification as a non-flammable gas?

DOT: "Some burn but will not ignite readily."

Key Point: The DOT Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), is meant fot transportation accidents, NOT FIXED FACILITY INCIDENTS!

HERE'S MSDS LANGUAGE FROM THE BAKER CHEMICAL COMPANY:

Hazards Identification

Emergency Overview
--------------------------
POISON! DANGER! CORROSIVE. MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED OR INHALED. MIST AND VAPOR CAUSE BURNS TO EVERY AREA OF CONTACT.

SAF-T-DATA(tm) Ratings (Provided here for your convenience)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Health Rating: 3 - Severe (Poison)
Flammability Rating: 0 - None
Reactivity Rating: 1 - Slight
Contact Rating: 4 - Extreme (Corrosive)
Lab Protective Equip: GOGGLES & SHIELD; LAB COAT & APRON; VENT HOOD; PROPER GLOVES

The MSDS does share the following:

Fire:
Autoignition temperature: 651C (1204F)
Flammable limits in air % by volume:
lel: 16; uel: 25

Explosion:
Flammable vapors may accumulate in confined spaces.
Storage Color Code: White Stripe (Store Separately)

So, which is it? Non-flammable or a product that has flammable vapors.

Even the MSDS is contradictory...

Do your homework. Your life may depend on it.

CBz