Sunnyland, Inc. - Executive Summary |
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This is to inform all interested persons, including employees, that Sunnyland, Inc. is complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) Regulation, Title 29 Code of the Federal Regulations, (CFR) 1910.119, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Risk Management Program (RMP) Regulations, Title 40 Code of the Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 68. These regulations deal with the risk involved with the storage, handling, and processing of hazardous chemicals. In complying this way, we promote overall facility, employee, and public safety. Sunnyland's program enables our facility to prevent the occurrence of, and minimize the consequences of, significant releases of toxic substances as well as fires, explosions, and other catastrophic accidents. Overall, these programs are in place to prevent the potential for accidental injury, illness, and death and to avoid the potential for property and environmental damage. Sunnyland's sa fety programs are applied to all activities involving hazardous chemicals including use, storage, handling, or the on site movement of chemicals. Any group of vessels interconnected and separate vessels, which are located such that a hazardous chemical could be involved in a potential release, shall be considered a single process. Sunnyland's safety programs prevent accidents because they focus on the rules, procedures, and best practices, which govern processes, activities, and /or pieces of equipment. These rules are detailed and revised as necessary. All information is communicated to employees of Sunnyland through training and documentation. Sunnyland is meat processing and packaging company, which utilizes approximately 26,000 pounds of Anhydrous Ammonia in its refrigeration system to cool the facilities production, and shipping areas. In a Worst Case Scenario, failure of the high temperature recirculator would release approximately 18,000 pounds of vapor over a 10 minute pe riod. The release would travel up to 8,600 feet (1.6 miles) before no longer posing a significant hazard to the public. However, this scenario is highly unlikely for the following reasons: Worst case weather conditions are uncommon The vessel is inside a building and protected from weather and vehicular and pedestrian traffic Industry standards for the construction and quality control of the vessel Safety relief valves prevent over pressurization of the vessel are in use Mechanical integrity program, inspection and testing procedures are in place Emergency alerting alarms integrated into the process system Emergency response and action plans in place at the facility In an Alternative Case Scenario, a ruptured gasket on the high pressure liquid valve at the thermosphyon / pilot receiver could release approximately 1000 pounds of ammonia over a 10 minute period. The release would travel up to 450 feet (.09 miles) before no longer posing a significant hazard. The thermosphyon / pilot receiver was chosen for this scenario because it contains liquid ammonia at the highest pressure in the system. This scenario, even though potentially possible, is unlikely for the following reasons: Vessel is located above the compressor building and physical damage is unlikely Refrigeration personnel are on site 24 hours/day and can respond promptly Sunnyland's accidental release prevention programs are based on safe work practices as referenced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, American National Safety Standards, and the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration 2 - 1992. Key elements of this prevention program are composed of: Equipment Design, Installation, and Operation of Ammonia Process Systems (ANSI/IIAR 2) Emergency Response and Action Plan Program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120, 1910.38, and EPA 40 CFR Part 68) Mechanical Integrity, Emergency Shutdown Procedures, and Inspection Program (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119) Sunny land, Inc. has experienced no accidental releases or near misses over the past five years. The facility Emergency Response Program is based on OSHA's Regulations for Emergency Action Plans (1910.38 and 1910.119) and HAZWOPER (29 CFR 1910.120). Sunnyland has an on-site trained emergency response team (HAZMAT) and maintains a written emergency response plan, which is reviewed annually. This plan is coordinated with the local Fire Department, Police, and Emergency Medical facilities to ensure communication with all potential or actual involved resources should their involvement be necessitated by a release. Through Process Hazard Analysis, inspections, annual reviews, and audits, Sunnyland continuously improves it's process system, procedures, programs, and training to ensure mitigation, control, technology, equipment, and organizational changes remain consistent and in force. Though this initiative, Sunnyland can ensure the utmost safeguards are utilized as it relates to it's proces s system and programs for the overall safety and well being of the employees, facility, and environment. |