MOUNTAIN VIEW COLD STORAGE, INC. - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Risk Management Plan Executive Summary is a brief description of the major components of RMP. According to the RMP Rule, '68.155 (a) - (g). Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies If any employee detects, by sight, smell, hearing, or any other method, he or she must locate and use "reasonable judgment" to evaluate the emergency. Then tell his or her immediate supervisor so that the problem might be mitigated or extinguished. If the emergency is out control then a formal evacuation should be enacted. If an emergency situation arises, the facility must be evacuated immediately in accordance to the facility emergency escape route (See facility map). These routes lead to two outside designated destination points of safety. One is located on the Southeast corner of the property line and second is located on the Northwest corner of the fence line. All employees should evacuate cautiously and expeditiously to these designated areas. Stationary Source and regulated substances held The stationary source is Mountain View Cold Storage, Inc. (MVCS). MVCS has two 5,000-gallon ammonia vessels, one of which is located inside a room, the second is located outdoors in the open air. Ammonia is used in cold storages and other industries to act as a refrigerant. The EPA in an event of a leak considers anhydrous ammonia (NH3) a toxic material. This acutely hazardous material exceeds the Federal Threshold Quantity (TQ) of 10,000 pounds of ammonia. MVCS' process holds approximately 35,462 pounds of NH3. Worst Case and Alternative Case release scenarios Worst case scenario is one of which describes an accidental release of a catastrophic magnitude. In this scenario, it is a release that emits a vapor cloud, an enormous spill, a rupture of a pipe, or a rupture of an ammonia vessel. Here as a hypothetical situation, we assume that this unfavorable event will release the entire ammonia in a duration of 10 minutes. Accordi ng to a dispersion model, with preset weather conditions, a worst case release scenario would entail a toxic endpoint of 3.6 miles from the source of the release. An alternative case release scenario is one of which involves an accidental release that has a higher likelihood of occurring. Therefore anticipated and precautionary measures are addressed to help mitigate any potential disasters. Preset weather conditions also have been set to predict the toxic endpoints. In this case, we also assume that we have an accidental release caused by rupture of a pipe. The size of the puncture is assumed to be .5 inches squared. In this hypothetical situation, if the release occurs indoors that is not adjacent to any doors or windows, then it considered to be a mitigated release that decreases the toxic endpoints of the release. If this release occurs outdoors, then it is deemed an unmitigated release, where the endpoints are further away from the location of the release. In this situatio n, the alternative release case endpoints were estimated at .5 mile from the source of the release. General accidental release prevention program and Chemical-Specific prevention steps All of Mountain View Cold Storage, Inc. employees are required to be instructed through a new employee orientation program, safety procedures, and operating procedures. MVCS staff is also required to have read, understand, and explain what to do in an emergency situation. Mountain View Cold Storage, Inc. uses anhydrous ammonia (NH3) which is used in the refrigeration system. Some preventive and precautionary measures that have been adopted and implemented are the following: ( Daily monitoring of compressors, condensers, control panels ( Daily monitoring of the pressure of the ammonia refrigeration ( Routine inspection of relief valves, piping, and seals ( Maintenanced and serviced by qualified personnel (Independent Contractor) ( Use of sulfur sticks to detect ammonia leakage ( Storage rooms are e quipped with air vents Five-year accident history Since the inception of Mountain View Cold Storage, Inc., in September of 1994 to the present there have been no accidental releases. Therefore, there have been neither onsite nor offsite injuries, nor any official evacuations. Emergency Response Program Mountain View Cold Storage, Inc. has coordinated with local responders to conduct several training session and mock emergency drills in event of an emergency or in an event of an accidental release. The majority of MVCS personnel have been trained in safety measures and procedures in regards from small fires and how to respond to chemical leaks. An evacuation plan has been placed throughout the facility with emergency routes indicated to show the direction to safety known as, "safety point destinations." There are two safety point destinations located on the Northwest and the Southeast corners of the facility. At this point the MVCS staff that are responsible to contact the appropriate responders have already been contacted. Other measures are then conducted such as taking a role count, administer basic first aid, and other mitigation procedures. Although Mountain View Cold Storage has an emergency response plan, MVCS relies on its local responders to mitigate and control an accidental release or in an emergency situation. Planned Changes Mountain View Cold Storage, Inc. strives to be and desires to maintain an injury-free working environment. Also, when it comes to process safety, MVCS strives to keep a safe process handling operation. The health and safety committee discusses hazards or potential hazards in the work area that affect any employee, guest, or visitor on the premises. They then try to draft a remedy and document it and make it into a safety procedure. The Safety Supervisor then informs all the employees about the new changes in safety meetings. |