Reflections on the CSB Report and What It Means for the Future of Ammonia Safety | Blog No. 95
- Harley Stines
- Oct 7
- 3 min read
Last week, we shared a breakdown of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s (CSB) final report on the hazardous ammonia release at Cuisine Solutions in Virginia. This week, we’re shifting gears to discuss how our industry expert, engineers, and project coordinator think these findings will affect those of us in the ammonia refrigeration industry and how Macha PSM is taking those lessons to heart.
Lessons from the Field
The CSB’s report was not only a technical review of what went wrong, but also a reminder of the human and procedural elements that define a facility’s safety culture. Our own engineers and process safety professionals reviewed the findings closely and shared their takeaways.
Micah Hicks, Project Coordinator at Macha PSM, noted:
“One key observation from the report is the lack of urgency and timeliness in the initial response. Compressors were not shut down until nearly 30 minutes after the release, when the emergency stop should have been activated immediately once the cloud was visible. There also seemed to be limited concern from refrigeration personnel about the pumps shutting down; a more thorough investigation into the cause of the trip could have provided valuable insight in the moment. Another important gap is training. Both lead personnel and facility staff appeared to lack sufficient ammonia-specific training, which likely limited their ability to respond effectively. Finally, the incident highlighted weaknesses in the facility’s evacuation planning. Stronger communication protocols, clearly defined evacuation routes, and regular drills would help ensure all employees are prepared to act quickly and safely during an emergency.”
Keith Tyson, Senior Advisor at Macha PSM with more than 30 years of experience, reflected on the broader implications for industry standards:
“The recommendation to update IIAR 2 to prevent liquid or two-phase RV discharge could impact the industry, but that is likely not in the near future. There will be a lot of research and industry input before anything final gets approved.”
Michael Amaya-Daniel, Process Safety Engineer at Macha PSM, building off of Hicks’ and Tyson’s thoughts, emphasized how incidents like this can refine our approach to Process Hazard Analyses:
“This event reinforces that serious ammonia releases are still happening today, and our PHAs need to account for that. Ammonia safety goes beyond equipment integrity. It’s also about having strong, practiced evacuation and contingency plans. When we bring real incidents like this into our PHA discussions, it helps us look at both the systems and the people involved, and make sure both are ready to respond the right way.”
How Macha PSM Is Adapting
At Macha PSM, our mission has always been to deliver more than compliance. We aim to help facilities build sustainable, safety-driven systems that protect people and operations alike. Following the CSB’s report, we are taking several internal steps to reinforce that mission:
Enhancing our training modules to place more emphasis on ammonia-specific emergency response and mechanical integrity checks by reiterating the Cuisine Solutions release story during PHAs.
We are expanding our research into two-phase ammonia releases to better understand how they occur and the extent of damage they can cause. Gaining deeper insight into these events helps us develop stronger safeguards and improve how facilities prepare for and respond to them.
Encouraging proactive evacuation planning during facility audits, with an emphasis on event-dependent response strategies and communication systems.
Moving Forward
While the technical recommendations in the CSB’s report will take time to filter through the regulatory and standards-setting process, some lessons can (and should) be applied now. A culture of readiness, strong operator training, and quick response protocols are not just best practices; they are vital layers of protection.
At Macha PSM, we’re committed to using these lessons to strengthen both our own processes and the guidance we provide to our partners. Safety is a shared responsibility, and continuous improvement is the best path forward for the entire refrigeration community.
Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for more blogs to come!
Previous Blog: Breaking Down the CSB’s Findings on the Cuisine Solutions Ammonia Release | Blog No. 94
For a 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.
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