Failure to remove ammonia prior to system disassembly caused fatal ammonia release
Incident Investigation
Failure to remove ammonia prior to system disassembly caused fatal ammonia release
May 26, 2022
Boiler, PV and Refrigeration
Reference Number:
II-1381615-2022 (#28065)
Location: Kamloops
Regulated industry sector: Boilers, Pressure Vessel & Refrigeration - Refrigeration system
Incident overview
An ammonia release at an ice making facility in the Mount Paul Industrial Park located on Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc reserve in Kamloops resulted in one fatality, multiple exposures, a local evacuation, and the temporary shutdown of nearby businesses. Our investigation found that the primary cause of the incident was a failure to remove ammonia from the refrigeration system ahead of its disassembly.