Awareness Training Goals - Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety Day

Ammonia Safety Day
Initial and Sustained Response: “Coordinate with public safety to create a safe and
methodical response plan”
Important NOTE: Your written Emergency Response Plan and all supporting SOPs should be
completed, adopted and formally in place BEFORE the emergency event. This is the value of
PREPAREDNESS for emergency response.
Define Strategy: Identify the downwind/downstream threats and the degree of concern; determine the
strategy for control after considering the strength and availability of on-site facility and public safety
response capabilities. Meet with the local fire department and consider the Leak Control SOPs for the
following concerns:
• Defensive Strategy: Performing LANCE and SIMPLE within levels below the IDLH (300 PPM)
and engaging incidental response safely in IDLH atmospheres, as defined within the facility
Emergency Response Plan.
• Offensive Strategy: Define which of the following offensive strategies you intend to perform:
rescue, reconnaissance, isolation, containment, control, and/or product management; determine the
level of PPE and entry PPM levels for responders and review the use of P&ID and Leak Control
SOPs. The Safety Officer, Facility Emergency Coordinator and/or the Incident Commander shall
assess the timing of the entry with the hazards and risks associated with the entry; provide back-up
staffing; assess entry team physical, mental and PPE readiness; develop a written IAP and Safety
Plan that clearly define the entry objectives, PPE, and personnel accountability when entering at
levels that could reach or exceed 5,000 PPM.
• Form a Unified Command between on-site Facility Emergency Coordinator and the public safety
Incident Commander. Assess whether you will be engaging public safety for entry to achieve
specified offensive strategies (described herein), valve control, back up, support (decontamination,
safety, rehab, EMS). Describe how the on-site and public safety response teams will coordinate,
e.g. facility operation of system controls supported with back-up from public safety or public
safety operation of system components as advised by facility response team members located
outside of the hot zone.
• Use personal protective equipment (PPE) based upon the strategy set in the Emergency Response
Plan. Make sure to address service and maintenance, leak investigation, incidental response,
defense, offense, and support systems (decontamination, downwind/downstream monitoring, etc.).
The back-up system for entry should also be defined; 1 in 1 out for investigation and incidental
response; ASTI recommends 2 in and 2 out for emergency entry to levels that exceed 300 PPM.
Size up: Recite LANCE and SIMPLE; describe current status. What happened? Who is at risk? What do
you expect will happen? What plan do you recommend? What is the nature and type of release? (dense
gas and/or streaming aerosol, vapor, liquid – incidental, out of control, or peaked and recovering)
Set the Zones and Control Access: Hot Zone >300 PPM; Warm Zone access route out of the Hot Zone <
300 PPM; Cold Zone (0 PPM). ASTI recommends that command post, EMS support, and Rehab be
placed at least 150 feet upwind in the Cold Zone. Control access to property and downwind (coordinate
with public safety) - 1 in and 1 out for under 300 PPM and 2 in 2 out for entry to levels >300 PPM. Decon
should occur in Warm Zone. Those performing decon must wear PPE at least one level below those being
decontaminated; the decon process will cause vapor to gas off.
Incident Action Plan (IAP) and Safety Plan: Write an IAP and Safety Plan and set up zones and
controls, decon, rehab and EMS assignments when your plan involves entry for “offensive” actions.
Termination of the Incident: Maintain a minimum of 1 in and 1 out back-up and appropriate PPE as
would be used for IDLH atmosphere until the re-start process is completed and the system is working
properly.
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©ASTI – www.ammonia-safety.com – August 2008