Southchem Inc - Executive Summary |
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Southchem Inc., Charleston, SC Executive Summary Southchem is a member of National Association of Chemical Distributors and complies with the requirements of the Responsible Distribution Process. 1. Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Policies We at Southchem Inc are strongly committed to employee, public and environmental safety. This commitment is demonstrated by our comprehensive accidental release prevention program that covers areas such as design, installation, operating procedures, maintenance, and employee training associated with the processes at our facility. It is our policy to implement appropriate controls to prevent possible releases of regulated substances. 2. The Stationary Source and the Regulated Substances Handled Our facility's primary activities encompass Chemical distribution. We have 1 regulated substances present at our facility. These substances include and Formaldehyde (solution). Formaldehyde (solution) is not used at this facility but is repackaged and stored for wholesale distridution. . The maximum inventory of Formaldehyde (solution) at our facility is 45015.31 lb.. 3. The Worst Case Release Scenario(s) and the Alternative Release Scenario(s), including administrative controls and mitigation measures to limit the distances for each reported scenario. To perform the required offsite consequence analysis for our facility, we have used . The following paragraphs provide details of the chosen scenarios. 4. The General Accidental Release Prevention Program and the Chemical-Specific Prevention Steps Our facility has taken all the necessary steps to comply with the accidental release prevention requirements set out under 40 CFR part 68 of the EPA. This facility was designed and constructed in accordance with NFPA-58 Standard, 1967 Edition. The following sections briefly describe the elements of the release prevention program that is in place at our stati onary source. Process Safety Information Southchem Inc maintains a detailed record of safety information that describes the chemical hazards, operating parameters and equipment designs associated with all processes. Process Hazard Analysis Our facility conducts comprehensive studies to ensure that hazards associated with our processes are identified and controlled efficiently. The methodology used to carry out these analyses are checklists. The studies are undertaken by qualified personnel with expertise in engineering and process operations and are revalidated at a regular interval of 3 years maximum. Any findings related to the hazard analysis are addressed in a timely manner. The most recent PHA/update was performed on 6/3/99. Operating Procedures For the purposes of safely conducting activities within our covered processes, Southchem Inc maintains written operating procedures. These procedures address various modes of operation such as initial startup, normal operations, t emporary operations, emergency shutdown, emergency operations, normal shutdown and startup after a turnaround. The information is regularly reviewed and is readily accessible to operators involved in the processes. Training Southchem Inc has a comprehensive training program in place to ensure that employees who are operating processes are competent in the operating procedures associated with these processes. Refresher training is provided at least every 3 years and more frequently as needed. Mechanical Integrity Southchem Inc carries out highly documented maintenance checks on process equipment to ensure proper operations. Process equipment examined by these checks includes among others; pressure vessels, storage tanks, piping systems, relief and vent systems, emergency shutdown systems, controls and pumps. Maintenance operations are carried out by qualified personnel with previous training in maintenance practices. Furthermore, these personnel are offered specialized training a s needed. Any equipment deficiencies identified by the maintenance checks are corrected in a safe and timely manner. Management of Change Written procedures are in place at Southchem Inc to manage changes in process chemicals, technology, equipment and procedures. The most recent review/revision of maintenance procedures was performed on 2/16/99. Process operators, maintenance personnel or any other employee whose job tasks are affected by a modification in process conditions are promptly made aware of and offered training to deal with the modification. Pre-startup Reviews Pre-start up safety reviews related to new processes and to modifications in established processes are conducted as a regular practice at Southchem Inc. These reviews are conducted to confirm that construction, equipment, operating and maintenance procedures are suitable for safe startup prior to placing equipment into operation. Compliance Audits Southchem Inc conducts audits on a regular basis to determine wh ether the provisions set out under the RMP rule are being implemented. The most recent comliance audit was conducted on 6/1/99. These audits are carried out at least every 3 years and any corrective actions required as a result of the audits are undertaken in a safe and prompt manner. Incident Investigation Southchem Inc promptly investigates any incident that has resulted in, or could reasonably result in a catastrophic release of a regulated substance. These investigations are undertaken to identify the situation leading to the incident as well as any corrective actions to prevent the release from reoccurring. All reports are retained for a minimum of 5 years. Employee Participation Southchem Inc truly believes that process safety management and accident prevention is a team effort. Company employees are strongly encouraged to express their views concerning accident prevention issues and to recommend improvements. In addition, our employees have access to all information crea ted as part of the facility's implementation of the RMP rule, including information resulting from process hazard analyses in particular. Contractors On occasion, our company hires contractors to conduct specialized maintenance and construction activities. Prior to selecting a contractor, a thorough evaluation of safety performance of the contractor is carried out. Southchem Inc has a strict policy of informing the contractors of known potential hazards related the contractor's work and the processes. Contractors are also informed of all the procedures for emergency response should an accidental release of a regulated substance occur. 5. Five-year Accident History Southchem Inc has had an excellent record of preventing accidental releases over the last 5 years. Due to our stringent release prevention policies, there has been no accidental release during this period. 6. Emergency Response Plan Southchem Inc carries a written emergency response plan to deal with accidental releas es of hazardous materials. The plan includes all aspects of emergency response including adequate first aid and medical treatment, evacuations, notification of local emergency response agencies and the public, as well as post-incident decontamination of affected areas. To ensure proper functioning, our emergency response equipment is regularly inspected and serviced. In addition, the plan is promptly updated to reflect any pertinent changes taking place within our processes that would require a modified emergency response. Charleston County Hazmat is the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) with which our emergency plan has been coordinated and verified. 7. Planned Changes to Improve Safety Several developments and findings have resulted from the implementation of the various elements of our accidental release prevention program. The National Association of Chemical Distributors requirements of the Responsible Distribution Process which require us to keep Southchem to provide update training and information to its employees to help improve safety at our facility. |