Canoe Brook Station - Executive Summary |
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New Jersey - American Water Company is New Jersey's largest private water utility, providing drinking water to over 300,000 people. During the treatment process New Jersey - American uses chlorine gas, usually from ton containers, to disinfect the water. In order to protect our neighbors from an accidental release of chlorine gas New Jersey - American has had a comprehensive written risk management program in place for over 10 years. This program addresses all aspects of process safety from operations to emergency response. The program starts with employee training at NJAWC. A new associate in an affected job class must first meet the basic job requirements before they are even considered for a job handling hazardous chemicals. After an individual is placed into a position they undergo a period of on-the-job and classroom training, based upon previous skills, training and experience. At the end of this period written and practical exams are administered to determine the level of comprehension of the associate. The associate is also continuously evaluated by supervisory personnel during the trial period. All associates in affected job classes attend annual refresher training to maintain their skills and knowledge. Standard operating procedures (SOPS) have been developed for all processes involving chlorine. These procedures are taken directly from manufacturer's equipment manuals or recognized industry standards. The SOPs describe the normal operation of the equipment, any abnormal conditions and the response to this type of condition in order to bring the equipment back into normal operating parameters. All associates in affected job classes are trained on the SOPs and review them annually. A comprehensive preventive maintenance program exists at NJAWC in order to assure the proper operation of the equipment. Every piece of chlorine equipment is identified and included in the PM program. Equipment is inspected and maintained on a schedule based on manufacturer's recommendations or industry standards. In the absence of any written recommendations all equipment is inspected on an annual basis. Associates responsible for maintenance are trained on procedures before they are allowed to perform any work on the equipment. A hazard analysis is conducted every 5 years to determine if there are any possible release scenarios for the site. This analysis evaluates every possible leak location and identifies all the protective measures in place. The hazard analysis also identifies any measures that could be implemented to prevent a release. The hazard analysis is done by individuals who are familiar with the equipment and work with it on a daily basis under the guidance of a Loss Control Manager. Recommendations are forwarded to the Responsible Manager for implementation. Any change in policy, procedures and equipment goes through an exhaustive review before implementation. This review insures that all aspects of the change are st udied and understood before any modification of the system is undertaken. Corrections are made to SOPs, drawings, emergency response and training procedures before the change is implemented to insure that all operations are done properly with the new equipment. A procedure is also in place to guarantee that there is always an individual in charge of the RMP program in the event of supervisory changes in NJAWC. In the rare event that despite the above procedures there is a leak or release of chlorine associates at NJAWC are trained in emergency response actions. Individuals first go to 40 hours of training in emergency response and chemical hazards. This training includes instruction on the proper personal protective equipment and use of tools to stop a release. Associates then attend an 8-hr. refresher class ever year to maintain and improve response skills. Drills are held annually to insure that the emergency response program works as it is designed. The drills are evalua ted and if corrective actions needed they are implemented. The plan is distributed to the local emergency planning committees (LEPC) and they are invited to attend the drills. Accident investigation procedures have been developed to determine the root cause of any release and to correct the cause as quickly as possible. The accident investigation is conducted by the responsible manager who will follow-up on any corrective actions necessary. The risk management program is formally audited annually to insure that there are no deviations from all the policies and procedures involved in the handling of chlorine. |