J. PRINGLE (1); (1) CO2 Meter, Inc., Ormond Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Brewery Safety
Friday, October 9
2:15–3:30 p.m.
River Terrace 1
No matter the size of the brewing operation CO2 concentrations are always an issue. CO2 is a silent killer and can render an employee unconscious within seconds. Recent deaths and incidents around the United States and abroad speak to the gas’ deadly nature, as well as the lack of uniform regulations that govern its storage or production. When you have a combination of a highly lethal gas and the lack of clear oversight you have increased incident rates. Three areas of every brewery are most susceptible to CO2 safety issues: at the CO2 bulk storage tank, at the brite tank, and in cold storage. How is your facility accounting for the CO2 you use? Do you actually know the concentration of the gas and how it would affect you and your employees? Does your facility meet the code? Do you even know if there is a local code? Precise detection and monitoring of CO2 is a necessity for the health and safety of your staff. CO2 leaks and deadly incidents have increased dramatically in the last few years. From brewing incidents to incidents in brewpubs and restaurants the gas is taking its toll. Even simple processes like doing the “sniff test” to see if your purge was successful can be a dangerous operation. In addition to wanting to monitor for safety, recent changes in some states and local codes to existing codes and regulations have brewers scrambling to conform rather than be shut down. This is as much a change in brewers’ mindsets about safety as it is an education about the true nature of the gas. Is or will your facility be required by code to have monitoring devices? This abstract discusses the science of the CO2 gas itself: what is it, why does it act the way it does, and how do I know it’s there? We will also discuss the necessities for measuring the gas, the variety of options in monitoring, and how brewers can best detect and monitor for the gas in their operations. In addition, we will discuss recent code changes in some locations and how these changes affect brewers and other business segments.
Josh Pringle is the director of marketing and sales for CO2 Meter, Inc. CO2 Meter designs and manufactures gas detection and monitoring devices for the brewing and other industries. After receiving his B.S. degree from James Madison University, Josh worked for Costco Wholesale in purchasing for 10 years, including 5 years in the beer and wine group. Josh now lives in Ormond Beach, FL, with his wife Kim and his children Emma and Evan.
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