Aldi Incorporated Springfield Division Warehouse - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR ALDI INCORPORATED SPRINGFIELD, OHIO DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE 1. Accidental release prevention and emergency response policies: At the Aldi Springfield, Ohio warehousing facility, we distribute perishable and non-perishable grocery items and merchandise to our retail locations throughout Ohio and surrounding states. To preserve our perishable products, we utilize an industrial refrigeration system to cool the storage areas where these items are kept. This system uses anhydrous (without water) ammonia as a refrigerant. Ammonia, a naturally occurring element, is part of the nitrogen cycle and is one of the oldest mechanical system refrigerants used. The properties that make ammonia one of the ideal industrial refrigerants for the food industry are the same ones the make it necessary to follow certain safety precautions. These precautions are designed to: X Protect our neighbors and the surrounding community. X Reduce the possibility of harm to the environment. X Pr event unnecessary human exposure X To reduce the threat to our own personal health as well as that of our co-workers. 2. The stationary source and regulated substances handled. At the Aldi warehouse, our primary purpose is to supply our retail stores with high quality merchandise. To maintain the quality of our perishable food items we use a two-stage refrigeration system containing a charge of Anhydrous Ammonia. The system was charged at the startup of the system during construction of the facility. The system is a closed loop system that requires no additional ammonia unless the system is expanded or if a release should occur. Access to the refrigeration system areas and equipment is restricted to our trained and authorized system operation personnel, authorized maintenance personnel, authorized management personnel, and authorized approved contractors. We observe stringent safety and operating procedures and ensure that contractors follow these policies. The regulated substance contained at this facility is Anhydrous Ammonia Our refrigeration system charge is 13,000 pounds 3. The general accidental release prevention program and the specific prevention steps. The facility complies with OSHA's Process Safety Management Rule and with all applicable Federal State and Local Codes. All qualified refrigeration system operators have been trained and have demonstrated competence in our safety and standard operating procedures. Non-qualified personnel are not permitted to operate or maintain the refrigeration equipment. 4. Five year accident history. We have had no accidental releases during the last five years 5. The emergency response program. This facilities emergency response program was developed following the guidelines in the IIAR bulletin #106 Recommended Procedures in the Event of Ammonia Spills, applicable Federal State and Local Codes, and industry practice methods. All employees are trained in our emergency response procedures. Response to emergenc ies is to be handled by our facility's maintenance and supervision with backup from the fire department when necessary. Only trained and authorized employees are permitted to actively participate in direct response to emergencies. 6. The worst case release scenario and the alternative release scenario, including administrative controls and mitigation measures to limit the distances for each reported scenario. Worst Case scenario A rupture of a roof top liquid refrigerant supply line between the engine room and cold storage areas would release the system charge of 13,000 pounds of ammonia. It is assumed that the entire system contents are released as a liquid. Company policy restricts access to the rooftop areas to authorized employees and contractors. This release has the possibility of extending beyond the facility boundary. Distance to toxic endpoint of 0.14 mg/L (basis ERPG-2) for the worst case scenario is 0.7 miles (1.1 kilometers) Alternative Scenario An engine room pipe s evered by a piece of material handling equipment. The system charge is released at a rate of 719.58 pounds per minute. The ammonia is confined to the engine room with an area of 2950 square feet. This would yield a release rate to the outside air of 25.8 pounds per minute. Distance to toxic endpoint of 0.14 mg/L (basis ERPG-2) for the alternative scenario is less than 0.1 miles (0.16 kilometers) 7. Planned changes to improve safety. Construction of this facility was completed in 1993 in compliance with applicable Federal, State, and Local building codes as well as ANSI standards and IIAR Guidelines. Year 2000 compliance testing has been completed at the facility and all non compliance issues have been addressed. During the second half of 1999 we plan to: Upgrade the computer control systems Add additional up-to-date alarm warning equipment Perform all necessary preventative maintenance to the system |