Ranbar Electrical Materials, Inc. - Executive Summary |
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Ranbar Electrical Materials, Inc. (Ranbar) purchased the Speciality Coatings Plant in Manor, Pennsylvania from Westinghouse in August 1, 1995. Westinghouse Electric Corp. had operated this coatings plant for more than 50 years. The Ranbar Manor facility manufactures insulating varnishes, potting compounds, paints, and wire enamels for the electrical industry. These products are approved by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) for electrical service. As an ISO 9002 certified facility, Dr. Randall L. C. Russell, CEO has defined the objectives for quality as "To provide our customers with quality products, responsive service, on-time delivery, and environmental stewardship based on excellence in polymer technology." Similar to the ISO 9002 program, the documentation task has been applied to the Ranbar OSHA Process Safety Mangement Program. Since its inception, Ranbar has had an active PSM program with the goal to take the appropriate steps at the right time to prevent incident s in order to protect life, property, and the environment. Employee involvement and participation by all employees is an important aspect of the Ranbar PSM program including: Process Hazard Analysis; Reporting of near miss and Incident Investigations; Operating Procedures; Management of Change and pre-startup reviews; Mechanical Integrity inspections; and Emergency Plan execution. The PSM highly hazardous chemicals used at the Manor plant are primarily flammable materials (flash point less than 100 degrees F). These chemicals are generally compatible and generate no serious hazardous effects when mixed. Inadvertent mixing is more of a quality concern than a safety concern at the Manor plant. Inadvertent addition of a catalyst to a batch of resin may cause the resin to polymerize and harden. Formaldehyde solution is the only highly hazarous chemical listed in Appendix A to OSHA' s PSM regulations which exceeds the threshold. Although not explicitly listed on the OSHA appendix A l ist, Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI) is another chemical of concern that is included in the Ranbar PSM program. The Manor plant has two chemicals that exceed the toxic chemical threshold quantities (TQ) included in the EPA Risk Management Program. The chemicals are Formaldehyde solution (37%) with a TQ of 15,000 pounds and Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI) mixed isomers with a TQ of 10,000 pounds. In this RMP submittal, Ranbar's consultant prepared a full storage tank worst-case release scenario analyses and delivery tank wagon alternative release scenario analyses for both chemicals. The alternative release scenario (located outdoors) modeling resulted in a greater impact area even though the release was less, because the full storage tanks are located inside a building. The EPA-recommended models used for the alternative release scenarios have likely over-estimated the impact distance, because of the terrain and buildings. At the Ranbar facility, potential Formaldehyde and TDI relea ses would tend to remain higher as the gas plume is constricted within a valley. These topographic features would tend to concentrate emissions close to the facility and lessen concentrations farther away. The release scenario modeling results confirmed the evacuation distance established in 1995 with the County Emergency Management Agency Plan. The only incident occurred July 23, 1997 involved 55 gallons of residual wastewater which leaked from piping connected to the storage tank and spilled to Bushy Run Creek. The spilled material containing ppm levels of Formaldehyde escaped the secondary containment. The release did not exceed SARA Community Right-To-Know reportable quantities. The Corrective action included remediation of the on-site contaminated soil, repair of the storage tank piping and secondary containment. The Ranbar Emergency Plan was reviewed and revised with input from the local emergency response agencies. Ranbar Electrical Materials, Inc. has long recogn ized the importance of protecting employee and consumer health and safety, and the environment. The work practices used, the products developed and manufactured, and the support provided to employees, customers and the community stand as examples of this tradition of commitment and concern. Ranbar is dedicated to continuous improvement in all aspects of its business. Safety and the environmentally compliant operations are a basic tenant of our philosophy, which includes: - Promoting efforts to protect employees, customers, the public and the environment, - Providing relevant information on the safe use and disposal of our products to customers, - Making protection of health, safety and the environment an integral part of our planning process, - Complying with all legal requirements which affect our operations and products, and - Providing sufficient resources to assure our programs effectiveness. Ranbar will continue to train personnel, add to equipment and facilities, and monitor f or the purpose of assuring proper environmental stewardship. |