Heinz Frozen Food Company, West Chester - Executive Summary

| Accident History | Chemicals | Emergency Response | Registration | Source | Executive Summary |

                       Heinz Frozen Food Company 
 
          West Chester, Pennsylvania Food Processing Facility 
 
 
 
                      EPA Risk Management Program 
 
                           Executive Summary 
 
 
 
 
 
1.   Accidental Release Prevention and Emergency Response Polices 
 
 
 
Heinz Frozen Food Company s (HFFC) manufacturing sites comply with applicable federal, state 
 
and local regulations.  As with all HFFC manufacturing locations, this food processing facility has 
 
a formal worker safety program.  All employees are informed of hazards in the workplace.  
 
Employees who work with potentially hazardous substances receive proper training in the 
 
handling of those substances.  This facility has procedures in place to safely remove employees 
 
from areas in the unlikely event that a hazardous substance release were to occur, and to put in 
 
place emergency notification and  
response procedures. 
 
 
 
2.   Facility and Regulated Substances 
 
 
 
This Heinz Frozen Food Company food processing facility is located at 700 Old Fernhill Road, 
 
West Chester, Pennsylvania.  Frozen prepared foods are produced at this location.  Food 
 
ingredients are received, blended, mixed, cooked, frozen and packaged.  The regulated substance 
 
at this facility, anhydrous ammonia, is used in a closed-loop refrigeration system for product 
 
cooling and freezing. Ammonia is the most effective, energy efficient and environmentally safe 
 
chemical for keeping food at it's proper temperature. 
 
 
 
3.   Worst-Case and Alternate-Case Release Scenarios 
 
 
 
The worst-case scenario consists of the release of ammonia from the largest vessel over a period 
 
of ten minutes.  The maximum quantity of ammonia in the vessel is limited to 80-percent of the 
 
total volume of 8,400 pounds via written administrative controls, resulting in a release of 
 
approximately 6,700 pounds of ammonia.  There are off-site imp 
acts under this worst-case 
 
scenario. 
 
 
 
The alternate-case scenario consists of the release of ammonia vapor from a safety relief valve due 
 
to an overpressure condition in a vessel located in the facility s machine room.  The relief valve is 
 
designed to vent ammonia to the atmosphere when its pressure rating is exceeded, preventing 
 
potential damage to other components in the refrigeration system.  The scenario results in a 171- 
 
pound ammonia release over a period of 19 minutes.  There are off-site impacts under the 
 
alternate-case scenario. 
 
 
 
If an accidental release of ammonia occurs, an Incident Investigation Team is mobilized to 
 
determine the root cause of the release. The team develops corrective actions to prevent similar 
 
releases in the future. 
 
 
 
 
 
4.   General Accidental Release Prevention Program and Ammonia Specific Prevention 
 
 
 
All Heinz Frozen Food Company manufacturing locations comply with the OSHA Process Safety 
 
Management for Highly Hazardous Chemicals (PSM) s 
tandard relative to anhydrous ammonia.  
 
Therefore, this facility has programs to ensure proper operation and maintenance of the ammonia   
 
refrigeration system.  Further, refrigeration system operators have been trained and are 
 
knowledgeable in the safe operation of the refrigeration system. 
 
The ammonia refrigeration system at this facility has been designed and constructed using good 
 
engineering practices and to conform to industry standards.  The system includes ammonia 
 
detection devices, an emergency shutdown switch located outside the main mechanical room, 
 
high- and low-level switches in pressure vessels, and safety relief valves to avert serious system 
 
overpressure.  Periodic maintenance on the refrigeration system is ensured via the use of a 
 
computerized maintenance management system.  Annual physical system audits are performed by 
 
an external refrigeration contractor to ensure system integrity.  
 
 
 
5.   Five Year Accident History 
 
 
 
During the past five years this facil 
ity has had no significant accidental releases of ammonia. 
 
 
 
6.   Emergency Response Program 
 
 
 
This food processing facility has procedures in place to respond to the release of a hazardous 
 
substance. Employees are trained to evacuate their respective areas in accordance with OSHA 
 
1910.38(a). Specific employees are designated and further trained to respond to a release in 
 
accordance with OSHA 1910.120(q). Coordination with the local fire department and LEPC is 
 
initiated during an emergency situation.
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