Shapiro Packing Company, Inc. - Executive Summary |
|
Shapiro Packing Company, located in Augusta, GA, processes approximately 1300 head of cattle daily into trimmed beef products. As part of the manufacturing process, an ammonia refrigeration system, containing approximately 15,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, is used to provide refrigeration in process areas. Shapiro Packing has only recently undergone an expansion which increased the size of the ammonia refrigeration system to a level above the thresholds which require compliance with the OSHA Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (PSM) program and the EPA Risk Management Program (RMP) standard. The facility has safely operated its ammonia refrigeration system for a number of years, and will continue to do so with the expanded system. The facility is currently in the process of formalizing its past safe working procedures into a formal, written and OSHA-compliant PSM program, with the assistance of an outside consulting firm. At the time of the filing of this RMP submission, the final PSM program is nearly complete, and the outside consultant will be working on-site in the very near future to complete the program and to formally provide training to the system operators. As such, many of the dates listed for performance of or completion of items associated with the PSM program are future dates, by which time the various parts of the program are scheduled to be in place and fully functional. In conjunction with the expanded system, the facility is also working on a revision to its Emergency Response Plan to address the specific issues associated with ammonia refrigeration. Shapiro Packing is committed to providing a safe workplace for its employees, and to being a good neighbor to the community surrounding its facility. |