IIAR serves as a valuable resource for education and training for its members, and took its training on the road, sharing information on IIAR, codes, standards, guidelines, and operational, testing and maintenance situations with end users from Trident Seafoods in Alaska.

Tony Lundell, senior director of standards and safety for IIAR, traveled to Wrangell, Alaska, to lead the training, which took place Oct. 1 through 3.

Bill Jensen, division manager of refrigeration for Trident Seafoods, said Alaska’s remote location could make it difficult for employees to attend the IIAR conference, so remote workshops give team members the proper exposure to new standards and in person interaction with industry experts.

Lundell discussed a range of topics, including an update on the IIAR Suite of Standards that covered the nine Ammonia Refrigeration Standards, the Safety Standard for Carbon Dioxide, and the Safety Standard for Closed-Circuit Refrigeration Systems Utilizing Hydrocarbon Refrigerants. He also discussed the General Duty Clause and enforcement awareness, the differences between PSM and RMP requirements, ammonia transfer and permanent hoses, and mechanical integrity, inspection, testing, and maintenance.

As part of the session, Lundell also presented a summary of Natural Refrigerant Codes and Standards that went in depth pertaining to a Road Map, Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Team purpose to EPA, and the details of the IIAR HC Standard in Development for Propane (R290), Butane/N-Butane (R600), and Isobutane (R600a) for using in systems larger than listed equipment and appliances.

“We also did a tour of the Wrangell facility, machinery room, and practice for applying ITM tasks,” Lundell said.

ONGOING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The refrigeration industry has different levels of operators, different levels of technicians, different levels of Process Safety Management (PSM) coordinators, different levels and types of engineers, and different levels of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) employees that benefit from the information and teachings provided in the different standards, certificate classes, and webinars.

IIAR members can take advantage of several useful resources from IIAR to aid in their education and training efforts, including self-taught and self-paced training programs that are available online through the online Academy of Natural Refrigerants (ANR) certificate courses and online video series classes. IIAR also offers technical programs at conferences, online webinars and, at times, in-person onsite training.

IIAR considers in-person training opportunities if members have a developed program and could use the support of IIAR as part of their program. Participation is dependent on staff members’ expertise and availability and members cover the costs for IIAR staff travel and living expenses.