Aldrich Chemical Company, Inc.-Teutonia - Executive Summary |
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Aldrich Chemical Company-Teutonia Site Risk Management Program (RMP) Plan Executive Summary Site and Process Description Aldrich Chemical is a batch manufacturer and repackager of fine organic chemicals for use in research and industry. The Teutonia facility is our distribution center for finished goods. Chemicals stored at the site are in containers of up to 19 liters (5 gallons). The vast majority of chemicals are stored in containers of less than 1 liter for liquids or less than 500 grams for solids. In addition to the storage and distribution of chemicals this facility also serves as a warehouse for packaging supplies and laboratory equipment, software & books. The Teutonia facility consists of a series of interconnected one story buildings of masonry and steel construction encompassing 627,000 square feet on 72 acres of land. There is also a separate building of about 5,000 square feet present at the site, which was specially designed for the storage of oxidizers and organic peroxides. Included within the main series of buildings are areas dedicated to: ( Overpacking chemical containers in accordance with DOT regulations for shipment to our customers. ( Storage of flammable finished goods. All areas storing flammable materials meet or exceed the State of Wisconsin Building Code. ( Storage of temperature sensitive finished goods. Several large refrigerators and freezers are present at the site. ( Storage of toxic and corrosive finished goods. ( Storage of finished goods which are gases. ( Storage of packaging supplies. ( Storage of laboratory equipment, software & books. Summary of Major Hazards Under RMP Aldrich Chemical has identified 4 processes which are potentially major hazards. Analysis of the worst-case release scenario for each process shows no offsite consequences as defined under RMP. A brief description of these processes is given below. Processes 12 & 15 involve flammable chemicals and processes 14 & 16 involve toxic chem icals. 12) Ethyl ether is stored in the flammable area in containers ranging in size from 100 ml to 18 liters. The 18 liter container is a metal cylinder. Many of the smaller containers are packaged in safety cans. 14) Chloroform is stored on site in containers ranging in size from 1 ml to 18 liters. The 18 liter container is a metal cylinder. 15) Pentane is stored in the flammable area in containers ranging in size from 2 ml to 18 liters. The 18 liter container is a metal cylinder. 16) Hydrochloric acid is stored on site in containers ranging in size from 25 ml to 4 liters. Five-year Accident History During the past five years there have been no accidental releases from any RMP covered process, which resulted in deaths, injuries, or significant property damage on-site. There have been no releases off-site. Consequences of Failure to Control the Hazards Analyses have been made for each chemical of the worst-case release scenario in which the entire contents of the larg est container are spilled. In all cases the hazard zone was contained onsite. Aldrich employees could be affected if a worse-case release scenario occurs. The effects of any release onsite will be minimized by several factors including: 1) Teutonia spill team, 2) Aldrich Milwaukee HazMat team 3) Site wide alarm & PA system and 4) Employee training (ie. evacuation drills, safety training, contingency plan training). These factors are elaborated upon in the Emergency Response Plan. Prevention of Releases Aldrich has put in place several measures improve operations, improve safety and reduce the risk of a release. All hazardous chemicals at Teutonia are stored in overpacks which conform to United Nations Performance Oriented Packaging (UN POP). The intent of UN POP standards is to demonstrate by testing that a package will withstand the rigors of transportation without leaking. There is an active safety committee at the Teutonia site which conducts safety inspections. Oth er measures which Aldrich takes to reduce the probability of a release include: 1) Training of operators in HM-181 concerning the handling and transportation of dangerous goods 2) Regular review of operating procedures 3) Regular training of operators 4) Training and licensing of all forklift drivers Steps Taken to Address Hazards Several steps are being taken by Aldrich to continually improve safety at the Teutonia site and reduce the risk of a release. A site safety committee performs safety inspections. Aldrich has an incident investigation system in place. Lessons learned from incidents are passes along to the other operating departments. Each department has a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) written by operators which are reviewed and approved by department management and the safety department. The SOPs are routinely reviewed to ensure they are current and account for any new hazards. Response Action in the Event of a Release A spill team is present du ring working hours at Teutonia to respond to, assess and clean up spills. The spill team is capable of level B entries. If a spill is beyond the capabilities of the spill team or a spill occurs after working hours Aldrich has a HazMat team, which will respond. The HazMat team is capable of level A entries and is staffed on all three shifts. Meetings are held six times a year for training in response procedures. The response team has equipment housed in a trailer for use anywhere onsite. Extra equipment is kept in each of the operating buildings. A site emergency response plan details the actions of the Spill team, the HazMat team, other employees, and visitors during a release. The plan provides phone numbers for contacting outside response agencies. Aldrich has coordinated its emergency response procedures by providing the outside response agencies with copies of the contingency plan and by escorting the Milwaukee Fire Department |