Training is essential for anyone working with refrigerants, and IIAR has a long history of serving as a valuable resource for education and training for its members. The association recently took that support to the next level for Trident Seafoods in Alaska.

“Being in Alaska, remote from the other USA states, it’s hard for everyone to make it to the IIAR conference, so remote workshops like this give our team the proper exposure to new standards and in-person interaction with the requested experts,” said Bill Jensen, division manager of refrigeration for Trident Seafoods.

To support its training efforts, Trident Seafoods asked Tony Lundell, senior director of standards and safety for IIAR, to attend its Process Safety Management (PSM) compliance training session and brought its employees together at its Anchorage office.

In addition to Tony providing instruction at this event, Jim Barron, executive director of the Refrigeration Engineers and Technicians Association, provided sessions that pertained to RETA Certifications and a RETA Chapter consideration.

Trident Seafoods had either a PSM coordinator, assistant chief engineer, or chief engineer from each Trident facility take part in the training. Also in attendance were the company’s vice president of safety, Holly Armstrong, and director of environmental, Shawn Stokes.

Lundell said Trident Seafoods was passionate about meeting the IIAR Standard requirements, and he covered a range of topics, including what to do during seasonal shutdowns of facilities, General Duty Clause requirements, Mechanical Integrity – Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance Tasks, and Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP). He also covered the IIAR Suite of Standards for Ammonia Refrigeration Systems, especially IIAR 2, IIAR 6, and IIAR 9, and the latest adoptions of IIAR Standards by Model Codes.

“The training provided the latest for the standards and topics, as well as provided answers to any questions during the training as it progressed,” Lundell said.

The training on IIAR 6 was especially helpful, Jensen said. “You have maintenance and inspection programs for when you’re continuously in operation, but there wasn’t a breakdown of what you do in the offseason when there is ammonia, but it is dormant,” he explained. Participants also took part in an interactive session to provide input and wordsmith a new section that will be included in the next revision of IIAR 6, which is targeted to be completed in 2024.

 

The new Section 5.6.11 Out-of-Service, which pertains to while equipment is locked/tagged out, tagged out-of service, or disabled from operating, coincides with the seasonal shutdown of facilities. “For Trident Seafoods, a vast majority of their 13 facilities in Alaska operate with four to eight months of idle periods,” Lundell said.

Helping Trident Seafoods, and other similar industries with seasonal harvesting “idle” periods of operation, will help IIAR provide a clear directive on how to document inspection, testing, and maintenance tasks during that idle time. “It will also help to clarify how seasonal shutdown facilities can start back up for the new season that will bolster their Mechanical Integrity programs and RAGAGEP,” Lundell said.

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS

IIAR members can take advantage of several useful resources from IIAR to aid in their education and training efforts.

“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,” Lundell said.

IIAR has a wide range of self-taught and self-paced training programs available online. “Our main support is through our Online Academy of Natural Refrigerants classes, our online video series classes, our technical programs at conference, our online webinars, and answering emails from members,” Schrift said. “But we also, at times provide in-person onsite training as done with Trident.”

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.

“A company can consider what training they want and work through a plan to have it arranged and provided, either through existing established materials, or an arrangement that can be presented,” Lundell said.