Awareness Training Goals - Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety Day

Ammonia Safety Day
Preparation for Maintenance, Repair, Service, Leak Investigation
“All pipelines should be considered pressurized and the status of the valves CANNOT be trusted –
double check and treat circumstances for the risk they present rather than to trust that things are what
they seem to be! Wear PPE and follow SOP! This procedure provides guidance on how to approach
maintenance, service, and leak investigation, and how to survive an incidental release and transition, if
necessary, to emergency response mode.
Facility Emergency Coordinator/Technician Operator Preparation Discussion:
Review and test the method of contacting the on-site emergency response team; learn how to quickly
and effectively engage the on-site response team
Review the LANCE and SIMPLE procedures – use them to size up the situation and mentally prepare
for developing the actual response plan.
Make sure the facility Emergency Action Plan, leak control SOPs, P&IDs, and other plans that support
emergency operations are available in an emergency.
Take a digital picture of service, maintenance, or repair locations for future reference in an emergency.
This also serves as a good record of repair.
Fill out the “Worksheet: Service, Maintenance, Investigate, Repair, Incidental and Emergency Event
Response Readiness” or other forms used to record service, maintenance, or repairs.
Determining if the event is an “Incidental” or an “Emergency” event: Criteria for determining when
the “incidental” release becomes an emergency event:
1. A response is required from outside the immediate release area by an emergency response
team; danger is imminent and an emergency exit is not readily available
2. The incident requires evacuation of employees in the area
3. The incident poses, or has potential to pose, conditions that are immediately dangerous to
life and health (IDLH); more than 300 PPM of ammonia in the exit pathway
4. The incident poses a serious threat of fire or explosion (a fire starts or overpressure exceeds
safety mitigations)
5. The incident requires immediate emergency response because of imminent danger (control
or containment is unclear and building is in danger or at risk)
6. The incident may cause high levels of exposure to toxic substances
7. It is uncertain whether the employee in the work area can handle the severity of the hazard
with the PPE and equipment that has been provided and the exposure limit could easily be
exceeded
8. The situation is unclear, or data is lacking on important factors
Readiness for Fire, Overpressure and Release:
Fire Readiness: Check location, service, and readiness of the fire extinguisher(s): travel distance
within 75 feet of the work area and always immediately available when doing cutting and welding.
Identify fire doors, fire walls, primary and secondary exits, and the fire safety readiness of the area to
be worked on. Use cutting and welding permits, lock out/tag out, and any other process safeguards as
established by facility safety SOPs.
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Review SOP(s) for: Leak control, shut down/start up of compressors, King Valve operation,
emergency ventilation, pressure management, and control/containment for overpressure, fire, or
release
Identify the location and operation of system components prior to operation, service or repair, or
leak investigation;
©ASTI – www.ammonia-safety.com – August 2008