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Ammonia solutions covered by the Process Safety Management standard

Summary A chemical company asked whether the Process Safety Management listing for ammonia solutions above 44 percent by weight also covers ammonium chloride or ammonium bisulfite solutions. OSHA said the listing applies only to ammonia-water solutions, not those ammonium compounds.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1993-02-03-0
Date issued
February 3, 1993
Status
Archived by the agency
OSHA marks this page as an archive document and says it may no longer represent OSHA policy.
Status last verified October 9, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1910 Process Safety Management Ammonia
Source
View the official document

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NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

February 3, 1993

Mr. Michael Townley, Manager
Safety and Regulatory Affairs
Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals, Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Townley:

This is in response to your October 19, 1992, letter requesting an interpretation of the Process Safety Management (PSM) standard at 29 CFR 1910.119. Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.

Your question was:

With respect to the chemical listed in Appendix A as "Ammonia solutions (>44% ammonia by weight): "Does this listing include solutions of ammonium compounds such as ammonium chloride or ammonium bisulfite solutions, or does it refer only to ammonia-water solutions?

Our answer is:

The referenced listing includes only ammonia-water solutions and does not apply to ammonium chloride or ammonium bisulfite solutions.

Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. If we may be of further assistance, please contact us.

Sincerely,
Roger A. Clark, Director
Directorate of Compliance Programs

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