Incident Investigation regulations

Appendix F Selected OSHA and EPA Incident Investigation Regulations... 

Where regulations related to process safety exist, they must be understood and PSM system design must be consistent with them. For example, some countries may require that operators participate in hazard analyses and incident investigations. Where there are no process safety-related regulations, you have complete flexibility in system design. 

The regulation states An incident investigation shall be initiated as promptly as possible, but not later than 48 hours following the incident. In part, the reason for this quick response to an incident is to assure that all pertinent evidence and facts can be preserved to facilitate the investigation. 

What Does the Regulation Say about Incident Investigations ... 

What does the Process Safety Management standard say The regulation, 29 C.F.R. Part 1910.119, entitled Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, has the following to say on Incident Investigation ... 

Although not stressed by the regulations, the objective of the incident investigation should be the development and implementation of recommendations to ensure the incident is not repeated. This objective should apply not only to the process involved, but also to all similar situations having the same potential. In major incidents, the Chemical Safety Board s investigation of reports serves as a vehicle to communicate to a much broader audience than the organizations that had the incident. 

Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis is discussed in Chapter 11. The OSHA standard and guidance is to be found in paragraph (1) of the regulation. 

The regulation makes it clear that the investigation is a team effort and that the team members must be properly qualified to participate. The team must include someone who understands the process and someone who is trained in incident investigation and analysis. Contract workers must be involved where appropriate. 

What does the regulation say about incident investigations ... 

The regulation states The employer shall investigate each incident which results in, or could reasonably have resulted in, a catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemicals in to the workplace. ... 

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