Awareness Training Goals - Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety Day

Ammonia Safety Day
Summary Reminders for Emergency Response:
• Communicate with facility operations Facility Emergency Coordinator to establish if the problem is
“incidental” or if an actual emergency exists – note the location, nature, and timing of the release.
Take a digital picture if safe to do so.
• Monitor incident conditions and follow the ERP and Evacuation or Shelter-in-Place policy.
• Establish a Safety Plan with zones and controls for the Hot Zone and make sure that proper PPE is
being worn and the buddy system is enforced in the Hot Zone. Continue monitoring the atmosphere, if
levels exceed the ERP standard you must exit the room.
• Reference the Emergency Response Cards and Emergency Response Plan and develop a written
Incident Action Plan and Safety Plan. Consider a downwind/downstream and control/containment plan
of action.
• Always use the buddy system. Have a backup entry team ready before entering the room and notify
the Incident Commander when accomplishing the IAP objectives. Use “one in one out” for incidental
control; “two in two out” is recommended for emergency response entry.
Evacuation/Shelter in Place: Evacuated personnel will move laterally and upwind to pre-arranged
assembly points, if possible, as soon as possible as guided by the Facility Emergency Coordinator and
those he/she assigns to coordinate the evacuation. People located in the office and warehouse should
evacuate and assemble at the designated evacuation meeting points. Wind direction and the actual location
of the ammonia release will determine the best location of the evacuation gathering point. Once
assembled, verify the head count and make sure that all employees, trucker drivers, visitors, and
customers are accounted for. Personnel will remain at this location until released by the Plant Manager,
Foreman or Lead Supervisor. Do not evacuate through a gaseous cloud or aerosol of ammonia; retreat to a
shelter location where the doors and windows can be closed and the heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems can be shut down. Stay in “shelter in place” mode until contacted by the incident
commander or when instructed to move out by evacuation coordinators. Stay tuned to the local emergency
broadcast system on the radio.
Regulator Notification: If the leak has been identified as being an RQ (Reportable Quantity 100 pounds
of ammonia within 24 hours), report to your NRC (National Response Center) within 15 minutes of
discovering the release (unless you are conducting life-critical response protocols). Local and State
notifications are also required as listed in the State and Local emergency response plans. Most local and
state regulators require a more immediate notification than the NRC guidelines. Your ERP should define
the notification requirements more specifically.
Incident Command System: During an ammonia emergency, the Facility Emergency Coordinator will
assume initial control of the incident and implement the Incident Command System (ICS); the first public
safety officer on the scene will assume the Incident Commander role (as determined in your Emergency
Response Plan) and will oversee on-site and off-site emergency concerns. The response strategy and
tactics will be implemented by using an incident action plan and safety plan. Command position
descriptions and ICS approved response forms are located at the end of this document.
Emergency Incident Information: The Facility Emergency Coordinator and Incident Commander will
develop criteria regarding the information to be released about the status of the incident. Priority will be
placed on releasing information that facilitates an effective response to and recovery from the incident,
including concerns for those who are in shelter-in-place mode or potentially in harm’s way. The facilityspecific
information should be held in confidence and used only to improve future operations. Those
releasing information must be clear, honest, and straightforward in their communications on experiences
that occurred during the incident. Details and suppositions regarding specific actions by those involved
©ASTI – www.ammonia-safety.com – August 2008 25