Chemical Process Safety Management

In order to prevent incidents, a process plant must not only be well-designed, but also properly operated and maintained. To ensure that all safety aspects receive adequate priority, the commitment to safety from all levels of management is essential. In practice, conflicts of interest may arise between safety and other goals such as production demands and budgets. In these cases, the management attitude will be decisive. In reality, such a conflict of interests is only an apparent one because safety, efficiency, and product quality all depend on a reliable production facility with a low frequency of technical troubles and safety problems. 

The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) has identified twelve elements that must be part of any chemical process safety management program [5]. Application of these elements specifically to plant operations has also been defined [6]. Because of the critical importance of these twelve elements, they are listed here as follows for reference  

Accountability Objectives and Goals—This element encompasses continuity of operations, continuity of systems (resources and funding), continuity of organizations, company expectations (vision and master plan), the quality process, control of expectations, alternative methods, management accessibility, and communications. 

Process Knowledge and Documentation—The main features here are process definition and design criteria, process and equipment design, company memory (management information), documentation of risk management decisions, protective systems, normal and upset con-dtions, and chemical and occupational health hazards. 

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The CCPS approach to chemical process safety management has been described in a number of documents ... 

These publications contain information on twelve key elements of chemical process safety management. In this section, seven of those elements that can be significantly impacted by paying careful attention to human factors principles are addressed. These are ... 

Common sense and the OSHA Chemical Process Safety Management Law requires an audit of compliance to the Management of Change. Periodic review and documentation of a sites activities in managing aspects of personnel and process safety is often a part of an organization s culture. A good audit can measure the actual versus intended effectiveness of various programs. 

Risk management. A part of chemical process safety management. Risk analysis (often used interchangeably with risk assessment) is a part of risk management. 

C. Non-Fatality/Catastrophe for Hazards Due to the Potential Release of a Highly Hazardous Chemical (Process Safety Management)... 

C. Non-Fatality/Catastrophe Criterion for Hazards Due to the Potential Release of a Highly Hazardous Chemical (Process Safety Management). An inspection in which OSHA finds three or more willful or repeated violations or failure-to-abate notices (or any combination of these violations/notices), based on high gravity serious violations related to hazards due to the potential release of a highly hazardous chemical, as defined in the PSM standard. 

Highly hazardous chemicals, process safety management.64(n),. 64... 

Accidental Release Conditions. The CAAAs include requirements for preventing and minimizing the consequences of accidental releases of hazardous substances. Part of the law required the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to promulgate a chemical process safety management standard to protect workers from hazards associated with accidental releases of extremely hazardous chemicals in the workplace. The final standard, called the Process Hazard Safety Standard, was published in the Federal Register on February 24,1992. 

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