Artesian Ice & Cold Storage Company - Executive Summary |
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The purpose of this summary is to give a brief description of Artesian Ice & Cold Storage Company, Inc. Risk Management Program. Artesian Ice & Cold Storage Company, Inc. is a cold storage warehouse and produces ice for retail business. Our facility is located at 3401 Stockyards Expressway in St. Joseph, Missouri. Our operation utilizes ammonia (anhydrous) as a refrigerate. We maintain a capacity of 10,000 pounds of ammonia on site at any given time. We take great pride in our safety and awareness programs in the handling of ammonia. Artesian Ice & Cold Storage Company, Inc. has a fully trained Hazardous Materials Response Team on site to handle any accidental release of ammonia within the plant. Our team consists of 5 Hazardous Materials Technicians (one taking the role of incident commander during a release). The team attends annual refresher training as outlined in 1910.120(e)(g) of 29 CFR, along with monthly training sessions on handling of accidental releases throughout th e plant. Artesian Ice & Cold Storage Company, Inc., has daily walk through inspections of plant and automated alarm systems to monitor when a release has occurred within the facility. In the past five (5) years we have had no releases. Our worst case scenario for this facility would be the result of catastrophic incident from a major fire and explosion at the plant. Thus, causing a vapor cloud that would dissipate quickly into the air. Our response team wil monitor the air for levels of ammonia gases and work with outside contracted firm to mitigate the release. We have contracted services with Environmental Emergency Response and Technologies, Inc. of St. Joseph, Missouri for releases beyond our capabilities in handling. During such an incident we will work in hand with the city fire department to mitigate any vapor cloud with the utilization of fine water spray. Our prevention program includes keeping local emergency agencies updated with the handling of ammonia refrigeration . This includes a complete site visit with Fire Service and local Emergency Response Team. Our, Emergency Response Program consist of a five (5) member team: The Emergency Response Team (E.R.T.) consist of five (5) members with the fire department as our back up and safety team. In the event of a leak the E.R.T. will meet at the Emergency Response Trailer. Two team members will don level A suits with SCBA's. A third member will have on a SCBA with level B suit. The two members with level A suits will go in as a main team taking a rope with them to stay in contact with each other. The team will check the ammonia level with a draw tube. They will report their findings to the Incident Commander. If the level of ammonia is low, the two man team can try to isolate or stop a spill or leak. After the leak has been stopped the team will then be decontaminated by using a high velocity fan. Artesian Ice & Cold Storage Company, Inc., is always looking at new information and training av ailable to reduce the risk to human health and the environment during a release of ammonia within our facility. We take great pride in our safety and health programs and are always keeping updated on the new standards pertaining to the Refrigeration Industry to improve safety for our plant and community. |