Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) All competent
attendants shall be certified to understand the properties of ammonia, to
become competent in safe operating practices, and to take appropriate actions
in the event of a leak or an emergency. Certified competent attendant training
programs shall be approved by the Department every 3 years.
1) Certified competent attendants shall
complete an attendance-based or temporary online certified competent attendant
training approved by the Department or an equivalent training program approved
by the Department.
2) Certification
shall be for a period of 3 years and refresher training shall be at least every
3 years. Documentation of completed training shall be maintained by the
certified competent attendants or their employer.
3) Any person who conducts anhydrous ammonia
safety training to certify individuals as certified competent attendants shall:
A) Be a certified competent attendant by
attending a Department-sponsored certified competent attendant training program
annually;
B) Train with a
Department-approved training program and associated materials; and
C) Submit to the Department a roster of
individuals trained, including their name, company name, home address, company
address and date of training.
4) Any person or entity who conducts online
temporary certified competent attendant training shall submit a roster of
individuals trained, with their name, company name, company address and date of
the training. The online temporary training program shall be approved by the
Department and reapproved every 3 years.
b) Persons involved with the loading or
unloading of anhydrous ammonia as defined in this Subpart, into permanent
storage vessels from cargo tanks shall satisfy the safety requirements of this
Section if they meet USDOT transportation regulations and are not subject to
the requirements of a certified competent attendant.
c) Persons at commercial facilities that hold
a current USDOT Special Permit issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Material
Safety Administration pertaining to loading and unloading operations are not
subject to the requirements of a certified competent attendant.
d) All growers or grower farm operators who
transport or apply anhydrous ammonia, or otherwise maintain anhydrous ammonia
equipment, shall be certified to understand the properties of ammonia, to
become competent in safe operating practices, and to take appropriate actions
in the event of a leak or an emergency. Initial certification shall be achieved
no later than April 1, 2022.
1) Certified
grower training shall be offered at no cost to the grower or grower farm
operator via the attendance-based or online training program available on the
Department's website.
2)
Certification shall be for a period of 3 years and refresher training shall be
at least every 3 years. Documentation of completed training shall be maintained
by the grower or grower farm operator.
3) The attendance-based and on-line certified
grower training program shall be reviewed and approved by the Department every
3 years.
4) Any person who conducts
certified grower training shall:
A) Qualify as
a certified competent attendant by attending a Department-sponsored certified
competent attendant training program annually;
B) Train using the Department-approved
training program and associated materials; and
C) Submit to the Department a roster of
individuals trained, including their name, home address and date of
training.
5) The
Department will record the names, home addresses, and date of training of
individuals who completed certified grower training.
e) All permanent storage installations shall
have on hand, at minimum, the following equipment for safety and emergency
purposes:
1) One full-faced respirator with
one spare ammonia canister that has not exceeded its expiration date in a
readily accessible location. A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) can
meet this requirement only when the facility is trained in accordance with OSHA
for rescue or emergency response to a release as defined by OSHA.
2) One pair of protective gloves impervious
to anhydrous ammonia.
3) One pair
of protective boots impervious to anhydrous ammonia.
4) One protective slicker and/or protective
pants and jacket, all impervious to anhydrous ammonia.
5) Chemical splash goggles.
6) An easily accessible emergency shower and
a plumbed eyewash unit or at least 150 gallons of clean potable or potable
quality water in a single open top container that is readily
accessible.
f) Each
cargo tank transferring agricultural anhydrous ammonia, except an implement of
husbandry, shall carry:
1) At least 5 gallons
of clean water in a container designed to provide ready access to the water for
flushing any area of the body contacted by ammonia.
2) One pair of protective gloves impervious
to ammonia.
3) One full-faced
respirator with one spare ammonia canister, in a readily accessible location,
that has not exceeded its expiration.
4) Chemical splash goggles.
g) Releases over the RQ amount,
unless otherwise permitted by law, require the responsible party to make
certain immediate notifications, which include the local emergency response
system (911), National Response Center (NRC), State Emergency Response
Commission (SERC), and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).