Questions and Answers About Process Safety Management!

Q: What is process safety management?

A. Process safety management is a way to prevent or minimize the consequences

of a catastrophic release of toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive highly hazardous chemicals from a process. A process is defined by OSHA as “any activity or combination of activities including any use, storage, manufacturing, handling, or on-site movement of highly hazardous chemicals.”

Q: What is the purpose of process hazard analysis?

A. Process hazard analysis is designed to identify, evaluate, and control the hazards of processes involving highly hazardous chemicals.

Q: Who performs a process hazard analysis?

A. A process analysis team experienced in engineering and process operations performs hazard analysis. The team must include at least one employee who has experience and knowledge specific to the process as well as another member experienced in the methods used to analyze the hazards.

Q: What key safety issues should a process hazard analysis address?

A. Process hazard analysis must look at the hazards of the process, any previous incident with the potential for catastrophic consequences, applicable engineering and administrative controls, the consequences of failure of those controls, facility siting, human factors, and a qualitative evaluation of the safety and health effects on employees of failure of controls.

Q: How often must a process hazard analysis be performed?

A. The OSHA regulations require us to update a process hazard analysis at least once every five years. However, any changes in process technology require close review and potential reassessment of a process hazard analysis. Because of the serious nature of the hazards, all personnel involved in the operation should be continually monitoring and evaluating potential hazards.

Q: Why is your contribution to a process hazard analysis important?

A. OSHA’s process safety management standard places an emphasis on employee participation, especially participation in process hazard analysis.