Smithfield Packing Co. (Wilson, NC) - Executive Summary |
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This is to inform all interested persons, including employee's that Smithfield Packing Co., is complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) Regulation, Title 29 Code of the Federal Regulations, (CFR) 1910.119, and the Enviornmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Risk Management Program (RMP) Regulations, Title 40 Code of the Federal Regualtions (CFR) Part 68. These Regulations deal with the risk involved with the storage, handling, and processing of hazardous chemicals. In complying this way, we promote overall facility, employee, and public safety. Smithfield Packing Co., program enables our facility to prevent the occurrance of, and minimize the consequences of, significant releases of toxic substances as well as fires, explosions, and other types of catastrophic accidents. Overall, these programs are in place to prevent the potential for accidental injury, illness, death, and to avoid the potential for property and environmenta l damage. Smithfield Packing Co., safety programs are applied to all activities involving hazardous chemicals including use, storage, handling, or the on-site movement of chemicals. Any group of vessels interconnected and separate vessels which are located such that a hazardous chemical could be involved in a potential release shall be considered a single process. Smithfield Packing Co., safety programs prevent accidents because they focus on the rules, procedures, and best practices which govern processes, activities, and or pieces of equipment. These rules are detailed and revised as necessary. All information is communicated to employees of Smithfield Packing Co., through training and documentation. Smithfield Packing Co., is a pork processing and packaging company which utilizes approximately 49,000 pounds of Anhydrous Ammonia in its refrigeration system to cool the facility's production and shipping area's. In a Worst Case Scenario, failure of the high pressure rece iver, under worst case weather conditions would release approximately 12,000 pounds of ammonia vapor over a 10 minute period. The release would travel up to 1.4. miles before no longer posing a significant hazard to the public. However, this scenario is highly unlikely for the following reasons: Worst case weather conditions are uncommon... The vessel is in a protected area clear of vehicular and pedestrian traffic... Industry standards for the construction and quality control of pressure vessels... Safety relief valves preventing over-pressurization of the vessel are in use. Accident prevention programs in place... Mechanical integrity program, inspection and testing procedures are in place Emergency alerting alarms intergrated into the process system... Emergency response and action plans in place at the facility... In an alternative case scenario, a 3/4" diameter hole at the receiver flange could release approximately 9000 pounds of ammonia over a ten minute period before no l onger posing a significant threat or hazard. The vapor could travel as far as .20 miles. This scenario was chosen as an alternative release because of it's higher likelyhood that it could occur. This scenario even though potentially possible, is unlikely for the following reasons: Emergency shut-down procedures... Regular maintenance upgrade... Inspection and rounds made daily of the process system to ensure safe operation... Emergency response plan and refrigeration personnel on-site around the clock... Smithfield Packing Co.,accidental release prevention program's are based on safe work practices as referenced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, American National Safety Standards, and the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration 2 - 1992. Key elements of this prevention program are comprised of: Equipment design, installation, and operation of ammonia process systems (ANSI/IIAR 2)... Emergency Response and Action Plan Pr ogram (OSHA 29CFR1910.120, 1910.38, and EPA 40 CFR Part 68.)... Mechanical Integrity, Emergency shutdown procedures, and Inspection program (OSHA 29CFR 1910.119). Smithfield Packing Co., has experienced no accidental releases or near misses over the past five years. The facility emergency response program is based on OSHA's Regulations for Emergency Action Plans (1910.38 and 1910.119) and HAZWOPER (29CFR1910.120). Smithfield Packing Co., has an on-site trained emergency response team (HAZMAT) and maintains a written emergency response plan which is reveiewed annually. This plan is coordinated with the Local Emergency Planning Committee, Fire Department, Police, and Emergency Medical facilities to ensure communication with all potential or actual involved resources should their involvement be necessitated by a release. Through Process Hazard Analysis, inspections, annual reveiws, and audits, Smithfield Packing Co., continuously improves it's process system, procedures, programs, a nd training to ensure mitigation, control, technology, equipment, and organizational changes remain consistant and in force. Through this initiative, Smithfield Packing Co., can ensure the utmost safeguards are utilized as it relates to it's process system and programs for the overall safety and well being of the employees, facility, and the environment. |