Superbrand Dairy, Inc.- High Point - Executive Summary |
|
SUPERBRAND DAIRY, INC.- HIGHPOINT, NORTH CAROLINA FACILITY RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Corporate Prevention and Emergency Response Approach The Superbrand Dairy, Inc. (Superbrand Dairy) is a manufacturing facility owned by Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.(Winn-Dixie) located in Highpoint, North Carolina. Winn-Dixie requires each facility to develop and maintain accident prevention programs and an emergency response plan appropriate to the site. Each site is also responsible for regulatory compliance issues that apply to the site. Winn-Dixie's corporate and division environmental and safety personnel provide assistance in training for site employees and in budgeting and procurement of safety and training services. 2. Description of Stationary Source Superbrand Dairy is located at 1350 West Fairfield Road, northeast corner of the city of Highpoint, Randolph County, North Carolina. The facility consists of areas for manufacturing and packaging of dairy products and coole r storage of these perishable items for distribution to the Winn-Dixie Supermarkets. Superbrand Dairy has one ammonia refrigeration system that exceeds the 10,000 lb. RMP threshold quantity. All of the ammonia refrigeration system's equipment is located in the compressor room. The high pressure receiver (HPR) is the largest capacity vessel in the ammonia refrigeration system, capable of holding approximately 10,800 lbs. of ammonia. Since the HPR is the largest capacity vessel , it was used for the worst-case scenario analysis. 3. Description of the Worst Case and Alternative Release Scenarios The Worst Case release scenario for ammonia is the rupture of the HPR, releasing 10,800 lbs. of ammonia gas over a ten minute period. Under worst case weather conditions and considering the passive mitigation of the building, the ammonia gas could travel 1.0 mile before dispersing enough to no longer pose a hazard to the public or environment (reaching a concentration less than .14 mg/L ), using the RMP Guidance for Ammonia Refrigeration. The alternative-case release scenario was characterized by a mitigated leak rate of 200.7 lb./min. from the HPR liquid supply line due to pipe connection failure from corrosion of the pipe. Under normally expected weather conditions, taking into consideration the passive mitigation of the building, the ammonia gas could travel 0.30 miles before dispersing enough to no longer pose a hazard to the public or environment (reaching a concentration less than .14 mg/L), using the RMP Guidance for Ammonia Refrigeration. 4. Prevention Program The ammonia process at the Superbrand Dairy is subject to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard, 29 CFR 1910.119. For RMP compliance purposes, this places the process at the Program 3 level. The PSM Program was reengineered in 1998 for the ammonia process. The PSM Program includes a preventative maintenance plan which requires all amm onia refrigeration equipment to be periodically inspected and serviced. This will ensure that the equipment remains in good operating condition and will minimize the probability of accidents due to faulty equipment. In developing the PSM Program, Superbrand Dairy also developed written operating procedures for the refrigeration processes. These procedures cover all phases of operation and include information on safety devices. These procedures will be used to train all operators and mechanics who work on the ammonia refrigeration processes to ensure consistency of operation and minimize human error. In addition, all refrigeration mechanics receive training through the Refrigeration Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA) training course. These measures ensure that all refrigeration operators and mechanics are properly trained. Existing safe work practices such as Lockout/Tagout and Hot Work Permit, were reviewed and updated to ensure that all non-routine work can be perform ed safely. Other components of the prevention program include collection and review of all equipment information, the development of updated Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), and the correction of any equipment design deficiencies found. These actions will ensure that the equipment meets all refrigeration industry standards and that accurate equipment information will be available when needed. To ensure that the Superbrand Dairy refrigeration staff has the skills necessary to identify unsafe conditions, Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) training was conducted. The staff also performed a PHA of this process. Other PSM procedures, including Management of Change, Pre-Startup Safety Review, Compliance Audits, and Incident Investigation are also part of the program to ensure continued safe operation and prompt correction of deficiencies. The PSM Program receives full support of plant management and involvement of employees at all levels. 5. Accident History The Superbrand Dairy facility has had only two accidental releases of ammonia in the past five years. The first accident occured on December 29, 1995 and consisted of a pressure relief valve lifting and releasing 174 lbs. of ammonia to the atmosphere. Cars passing by on Interstate 85 were affected by the release. One person had been hospitalized and four to five were treated on the scene by emergency personnel. I-85 was shut down for twenty minutes until the ammonia plume had dissipated. Winn-Dixie personnel were quick to react and shut down the system to seek out the source of the leak and repair it. Several measures were taken after the incident to ensure it would not happen again, including installing high level pressure alarms, audible and visual, in the production office. The second incident did not result in any offsite injuries or property damage, but Winn-Dixie did incur damage to a vessal at the facility. The second incident was not a reportable release of ammonia with a total release of a pproximately 25 pounds. 6. Emergency Response Program The Superbrand Dairy facility has an Emergency Response Program in place. The program complies with 29 CFR 1910.38. The site also has some internal emergency response capability and is developing a program to comply with paragraph (q) of 29 CFR 1910.120. The current plan has been coordinated with the City of High Point Fire Department and Hazardous Materials Response Team, and the Regional Local Emergency Planning Committee. Notification is made locally by dialing 911, and by notifying North Carolina State Warning Point at 1-800-858-0368. |