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GUIDELINE AND BEST PRACTICE
Design of Class T Refrigeration Plant Rooms - New Construction Guideline
Version 1.0 Issue Date: May 2025
Disclaimer
This resource is not intended to represent professional advice on the subject matter but rather discuss and highlight historical designs while providing open conversation on operator health and safety considerations for minimum regulatory compliance obligations in plant room designs for ice sheet operations. It is recommended that users of this resource seek technical advice from appropriate design and construction professionals, using this resource as a catalyst in developing a design that exceeds minimum regulatory compliance requirements.
Background
Ice sheet recreation refers to any mechanically assisted refrigerated facility that uses a refrigerant to provide an artificial ice recreational experience. The traditional ice arena that was first designed for hockey and off-set this need with figure skating, ringette and broom ball was supported with curling as a standalone facility. Today, many other recreational activities such as outdoor skating pads and trails are mechanically support with a refrigeration plant that houses all equipment needed to provide the cycle of refrigeration. Designing such an assembly of mechanical devices requires careful consideration of several detailed elements for the design, construction and eventual operation of all equipment.
Design Requirements-CSA B52, TSSA and OHSA
Minimum design requirements for all registered ice sheet industrial refrigeration plant rooms are set out in the current CSA B52:23 Mechanical Refrigeration Code (MRC). Ontario’s Boiler and Pressures Vessels (BPV) Regulation 220/01 and Operating Engineers (OE) Regulation 219/01 will provide additional direction on equipment and operator obligations. While Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) should also be referenced pending the refrigerants being used in the removal and transfer heat. A history of common design measures and information is shared for the benefit of an understanding what should be considered when constructing or retrofitting an ice sheet plant room.
Point of Clarification #1
All legislative and/or regulatory obligations are minimum legal obligations to be met. Owners of industrial refrigeration plant rooms should consider that the design and construction of any infrastructure will have a minimum 50-year lifecycle. Planning to exceed current legislative requirements to ensure safe operations into the future is considered diligent.
Design and Construction: Classes of Machinery Rooms
Currently, many of Ontario’s industrial refrigeration ice sheet plant rooms registered with the TSSA are designed and constructed to meet the requirements for “Class T” machinery rooms which is primarily focused on ammonia refrigeration plants as per the CSA B52 MRC. However, while this has been an industry accepted refrigerant and design type, alternative refrigerants and classifications do exist and continue to evolve as technology and equipment advancements are implemented. The ORFA recognizes the many other refrigerants used in ice sheet refrigeration systems; however, this resource will focus on consideration for the design of a newly constructed Class T engine room.
Point of Clarification #2
The CSA B52 MRC has gone through several revisions since first introduced. Currently, there is no legal requirement of plant owners to update existing plants to current standards. Governing authorities such as the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) and/or the assets insurance company through a boiler and pressure vessel inspectors’ recommendations may recommend or require an update to current standards. It is recommended that the owner/facility manager consider retaining a qualified person as part of a robust asset management plan to evaluate existing design and construction to determine gaps when compared to the most current CSA B52 MRC standards without being directed by an outside agency. Where reasonable, upgrades through ongoing capital investment are strongly recommended.
Why have we attached the Refrigeration Plant to the Ice Facility?
Historically, ice facilities have always attached the plant room to the building. This was performed for operational convenience: however, these indirect systems require a variety of safety considerations as part of the design. These designs are most often referred to as a Class T machinery room regulated under the CSA B-52 Mechanical Refrigeration Code which has traditionally focused on plants using ammonia as a refrigerant. In these designs all refrigerant containing parts except piping, low side components, condensers, and parts outside the building must be installed to meet and be maintained to Class T Machinery room regulated requirements.
Refrigerant and Equipment Innovation
In the past decade, there has been significant investment by refrigerant manufacturers to develop a variety of different refrigerants. It is predicted that this interest in developing energy efficient and environmentally sustainable refrigerants will continue. Construction of new machinery rooms should include review of these advancements and selection of the most feasible and effective refrigerants for the designed mechanical system.
In addition, advancement in equipment design has resulted in equipment that requires “low charges” of refrigerants. More efficient compressors, chillers and other equipment assists in reducing the amount of refrigerant charge required while still providing a quality ice sheet, which inherently reduces the risk associated with its use. As with any new technology a higher initial capital cost may occur but should be reviewed as a long term financial and sustainable decision. These types of investments should be explored based on the physical location of the ice sheet and the risk a significant refrigerant release may cause. For example, C02 refrigerants dramatically reduces the risk of a release however, these same systems operate at a much higher pressure. Whereas a traditional ammonia system may operate at lower pressure but has a higher acute toxicity. Proper training of operators and investing in equipment maintenance and asset management plans will help minimize any risk but not eliminate them regardless of the choices of installation.
Point of Clarification #3
Plant owners should carefully research any new technology prior to investing. As a benefit of membership, the ORFA offers access to more than 8000 members that may be able to assist in real time experience and benchmarking to help support owners in the identification and selection of refrigerants and equipment.
Advanced Safety Devices and Plant Monitoring
Ice sheet refrigeration systems are referred to as “guarded plants”, as defined by TSSA. This identification indicates that the system is under constant monitoring by a variety of safety devices that will shut the plant down and immediately alarm should any of these devices exceed the recommended pressure or set points. Alarms may be local, as in on site for operators and possible public awareness, as well as dispatched via alarm monitoring third parties via email or call outs to staff and in extreme cases emergency services. In addition, direct digital control (DDC) technology now allows the plant “user” or their designate, such as other staff or a service contractor, to continually monitor plant conditions remotely. There was a time that such an option was considered a luxury however, in today's health and safety, liability, and reliability climate, investing in these options is considered standard operating practice.
Point of Clarification #4
The plant owner must understand that investment in monitoring devices does not reduce the responsibility to have well-trained and competent operators on staff. Plant/Facility operators must be considered the most critical component of safe plant operations with all other devices and services assisting these individuals in their responsibilities.
Operator and Public Safety
All ice sheet industrial refrigeration plant design and construction should be undertaken with maximum human life protection as the priority. Health and safety regulations set worker safety expectation as doing everything “reasonable” to ensure they remain risk and hazard free. The size and design of the refrigeration plant will dictate the required level of strict competency of the persons in care and control of this system. Not having a set regulatory obligation does not allow for operating with staff who are not qualified to ensure public safety. Researching and understanding the regulated responsibilities associated with the selected system is strongly recommended.
Point of Clarification #5
This benchmark should be a standard guiding principle when designing ice sheet industrial refrigeration plant rooms. In addition to the built-up environment, operator training, emergency preparedness, asset management and ongoing review of operating procedures should be areas of focus to enhance staff and public safety in public occupancy facilities.
Basic Ice Sheet Industrial Refrigeration Plant Room Design Principles
The following is provided as suggested design principles for ice sheet industrial plant rooms, and includes an investment by owners in understanding each item to effectively construct a safe and efficient machinery room:
1. Constructing the plant room to the main building or adjacent to public occupancy areas sets one pathway of regulatory responsibilities which is much higher than if the plant room is a standalone structure away from the primary public areas of the building. Discussing the feasibility of having a standalone structure to service the facility should form part of the planning process.
a. Gaining popularity are systems best described as a large air conditioning unit big enough to handle ice sheet heat loads, while heat pump designs are continuing to be refined to better serve our industry. These options completely remove the need to have any form of a traditional plant room. Alternatively, if proceeding with traditional built up or packaged systems and engine rooms, evaluating the safe placement of the room away from high public occupancy areas is strongly recommended.
2. Plant room egress is an important part of operator safety planning. Designing the room so that an egress to the outside may act as an escape route should be considered. This egress if installed, will further act as an entry point for emergency services personal as well as an easy access point for service contractors. This will reduce the movement of plant chemicals and other equipment through public areas of an ice facility.
3. Design the room with appropriate spacing for the ease of maintenance and equipment replacement to occur, including examples such as appropriate door sizes, gantry frames on stairs, or knock out wall panels. Consider that all large equipment will have a maximum projected lifecycle of 25-years (there may be exceptions). Regardless, consider how capital improvements will be undertaken when required.
4. Mechanical rooms are not to be used as ad hoc storage locations. The only equipment and materials permitted to be stored in these locations are items required to operate and maintain the system. All shelving and storage systems should be industrial rated. Including a comfortable area for the plant user to house plant operation and training manuals, logbooks and other related materials should be considered. A work area to assist operators and service contractors in maintaining the plant would be appreciated.
5. Consider mounting a condenser or cooling tower on a stand rather than the roof of the plant room. If a condenser is mounted on a roof it will need to be a flat roof with appropriate structural reinforcements. Design the condenser placement with ease of access and with fall from height protection requirements being met.
6. The ORFA believes that a properly designed vestibule area leading into the plant room is a critical component of operator safety. These areas if designed properly can house important detection devices and procedural information, a secure place for personal protective equipment to be stored, as well as an area to house equipment such as a deluge shower and eyewash station. Some plants have been installing code rated windows that allow operators to visually check monitoring equipment prior to entering the vestibule. Regulated requirements for alarm detection systems should be increased to include other areas of the facility so that operators can be made aware of plant conditions if they are not in the proximity of the plant room. Investing in proper heating, lighting, drainage, and ventilation of toxic and noxious chemicals that are associated with the plant room design are essential worker safety tools.
7. The plant room ventilation system should be designed to purge a significant refrigerant leak. Exceeding minimum legislated design standards is strongly recommended.
8. The plant room floor should be finished with a highly durable coating that will ease the housekeeping duties of the plant room. See more details on this in Module 3 of the ORFA Guidelines for Recreation Facility Planning, Design and Construction resource.
Conclusion
It is hoped that this resource will assist the ice sheet industry to consider the importance of investing in the design of refrigeration machinery rooms that are functional, well laid out and safe for the lifespan of the facility. We invite our members to share their ideas and experiences on the plant room designs with us at info@orfa.com .
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