Safety management system background

An understanding of the management systems in place to control and direct the process safety of the facility can be obtained from reading engineering and administrative standards, guidelines, and procedures that shoiud be available in the background information supplied... 

In this section, you will be introduced to process safety and be provided with some background, some unique definitions, an overview of the U.S. OSHA and ERA rules that are applicable to U.S. industry, and be shown the interface of system and process safety. There is also a chapter on the ERA rule that is akin to the OSHA Rrocess Safety Management (RSM) rule. Further, there is a chapter that discusses the implementation of the PS. Finally, there is a concluding chapter that discusses PS reviews, both external and internal, to ensure that the process remains safe, but also that improvements are periodically made to enhance operations as well as safety. 

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to process safety management, including the background that led to specific public laws, definitions applicable to this unique area, and requirements for process safety management, both in the United States and in Canada. This is a fascinating new area for both the safety or system safety professional and the process industry practitioner. 

Companies may wish to develop workshops to train potential team members in the inherent safety review process. The workshop can provide background information on inherent safety concepts, the extensive systems required to manage hazardous materials, and information on the inherent safety review process. Videos, problems, examples, and team exercises can be included to enliven the education process. 

A chemical engineer may have a choice of inherent safety variables, such as quantity stored or process temperatures and pressures, or process safety measures such as emergency isolation valves or containment systems, all of which may greatly reduce the vulnerabilities or the consequences of intentional loss. These are in addition to traditional security measures, which may include physical security, background checks, administrative controls, access controls, or other protective measures. For a more complete discussion of the options, refer to the AIChE Center for Chemical Process Safety Guidelines for Analyzing and Managing the Security Vulnerabilities of Fixed Chemical Sites and other references.f... 

Maria Helena Kiss is a project leader in the department of qirality management and patient safety at the University Hospital in Zurich. Her background is in psychology and systemic psychotherapy. Her work focuses on patient safety projects, patient surveys and the psychological care of patients with bum injuries and their relatives. 

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