Severity
Incident
Was Hydrogen Released?
Yes
Was There Ignition?
No
Describe the incident, including corrective steps taken and their result.
A laboratory had an incident with an ammonia tank. When the valve was opened, the packing in the valve apparently "moved," and a faint ammonia smell was noticed. The tank was returned to the supplier.
Lessons Learned
- Valve packing on ammonia tanks should be checked on a regular basis.
- If an ammonia smell becomes noticeable, the tank should be returned to the supplier.