Opportunity in Ammonia Refrigeration: Own Your System, Own Your Future | Blog No. 144
This blog is for those in our industry who are waiting for an opportunity: the ones who want to be more than a rounds person, an ammonia refrigeration operator, or a PSM coordinator in a plant. The ones who want to grow, take on more responsibility, and make a name for themselves.
Who gets an opportunity, and who doesn’t? What does opportunity look like? When do you have one? Where do you find it? And most importantly, how do you put it all together?
Keep reading, and I’ll share what opportunity has looked like in my own experience.
1. The Who: Who Gets the Opportunity?
Many factors influence who gets an opportunity, and everyone’s circumstances are different. There will always be obstacles and reasons why someone else seems to get ahead. But at the end of the day, we are responsible for how we approach our own opportunities. If you can own that mindset, you can become the person who gets noticed.
You don’t need to know the right people. You don’t need the most seniority. What you need is effort. Go the extra mile. Do your job, ask questions, look for ways to improve, and take pride in your work. The status quo will never get you there. People notice effort and initiative. When you show both consistently, you separate yourself from the crowd.
That brings us to the next question: what does opportunity look like?
2. The What: What Does Opportunity Look Like?
Opportunity doesn’t always come as a promotion, a new title, or a big project. Sometimes it looks like a 30-minute control valve bank inspection. The status quo is to walk up, look it over, and maybe write a work request saying it needs to be cleaned. Opportunity is showing up to that same inspection with a bucket of soapy water and a rag, and cleaning the bank on the spot. Look closer. Note anything that needs attention. Leave the area better than you found it.
That simple change does several things:
Improves the appearance of your system. A clean, organized plant reflects attention to detail.
Shows pride in your work. You care about the equipment, not just checking a box.
Makes productive use of your shift. Whether you work eight hours or twelve, there’s always more you can contribute.
Supports process safety and compliance. Good housekeeping helps catch deficiencies before they become bigger problems.
Builds trust and opens doors. Consistent initiative shows you can be trusted with more responsibility.
The point is simple: don’t just complete the assignment. Make it more valuable.
3. The When: When Do You Have an Opportunity?
The answer is simple: opportunity begins when you punch the clock to start your shift.
I once had a stretch where I was assigned twelve hours of work on three days and six hours on another day, 42 hours of assigned work across four days. The rest of that time was mine to use well: improving the system, learning something new, helping another department, or taking care of items that would otherwise go unnoticed. Every shift offers chances to learn, improve, and show initiative. Some are obvious; others you must look for.
And you’re not the only one evaluating your work. Supervisors, maintenance, engineers, and your teammates all see how you approach your job. Your work ethic can build a reputation long before a promotion ever opens.
So where should you be looking?
4. The Where: Opportunity Is Everywhere
I don’t care if you’re changing HVAC filters on the night shift. That task can be more than changing a filter. While you’re there, look at the coil and clean it. Wipe down the unit. Check its condition. Make sure it’s labeled, and report anything that needs more attention. The goal is to make the equipment better.
If you haven’t caught on yet, here’s the answer to where you find opportunity:
Everywhere.
Plant life is a unique way of life (that’s the nice way of putting it). There are challenges around every corner. Is the maintenance team struggling to keep up? Opportunity. Are housekeeping issues getting overlooked? Opportunity. Are procedures outdated, labels missing, or the same deficiencies showing up inspection after inspection? Opportunity. Is there a task you’ve never done before? An opportunity to learn from someone who has.
Even work outside your normal responsibilities teaches you how the whole facility runs. Stay observant, ask questions, and contribute. The more you understand your plant, the more opportunities you’ll recognize.
5. The How: Put It All Together
In my experience, both in this industry and in life, too many people get comfortable doing only what’s required. They complete the assignment, finish the shift, and go home. Status quo: There’s nothing wrong with doing your assigned job. If you want to grow, you have to do more with the opportunities in front of you.
Our industry needs people willing to learn, take ownership, and operate systems that use ammonia. That takes more than showing up. It takes discipline, technical knowledge, attention to detail, and respect for process safety.
You don’t need a college degree to build a career in ammonia refrigeration. Education and formal training are valuable, but they aren’t the only path.
Start by learning your system: how it operates, why it operates that way, and what happens when something goes wrong. Learn the equipment, the procedures, the safety systems, and the reasons behind the requirements.
The answers aren’t always in an IIAR standard, but pay attention to the ones that are. Review previous audits and look for recurring deficiencies. Walk the pipes. Learn from incident investigations.
Most importantly, listen to the experienced people around you. There’s a tremendous amount of knowledge out there that you’ll never get from a book. Ask questions, observe, and take notes. Then, once you have the knowledge and training, take the wrench from them and do the work.
Listen. Learn. Then step up and do the work.
6. A Final Thought: Own Your System, Own Your Future
Take pride in your work. Learn your system. Help your team. Ask questions. Never stop learning, and never let your desire to advance outweigh safety.
For me, a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ keeps me grounded and accountable. Integrity matters at work just as much as everywhere else. Own when you make a mistake and learn from it. It’s a small industry.
You can’t control when a promotion opens up, who gets hired, or who gets recognized first. But you can control your effort, your attitude, your willingness to learn, and the standard you hold yourself to every day. You may be waiting for someone to give you an opportunity. But what if it’s already standing in front of you?
The next time you walk through your plant, look beyond the checklist. Start where you are. Use what you have. Make your system better.
Own your system, own your work, and own your future.
Take this blog for what it is: my experience and my opinion. Your circumstances may be different, and it’s up to you to put these ideas into practice.
Don’t blame me if it doesn’t work.
Go create your own opportunity.
For comprehensive training on Anhydrous Ammonia, click here for our PSM Academy Ammonia Awareness training to learn and earn a certificate of completion. Training is in English and Spanish. Use code SDS20 for a 20% discount on the entire purchase. For more information, email us at academy@machapsm.com. For comprehensive training on Anhydrous Ammonia, click here for our PSM Academy Ammonia Awareness training to learn and earn a certificate of completion. Training is in English and Spanish. Use code SDS20 for a 20% discount on the entire purchase. For more information, email us at academy@machapsm.com.
Comments