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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is weighing changes to its process safety management (PSM) standard, including expanding it to include oil- and gas-well drilling and servicing, according to the agency’s August 30 announcement of an informal stakeholder meeting (87 Federal Register (FR) 53020).
The PSM standard, which requires employers to implement safety programs to identify, evaluate, and control highly hazardous chemicals in the workplace, has not been updated since it was originally published in 1992. The “performance-based” standard outlines 14 management system elements for controlling highly hazardous chemicals.
On April 17, 2013, an ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion and fire in West, Texas, led to an August 1, 2013, Executive Order (EO) on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security (E.O. 13650) directing OSHA and other federal agencies to modernize policies, regulations, and standards to enhance safety and security at chemical facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a separate proposal addressing risk management plan (RMP) requirements.
Potential changes in the scope of OSHA’s PSM standard could include:
Amendments to the standard could include:
The stakeholder meeting will be held virtually on WebEx on Wednesday, September 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Those interested in participating may register online at https://www.osha.gov/process-safety-management/background/2022stakeholdermtg.
Those concerned about possible changes to the PSM standard may submit written comments regardless of whether they plan to attend the stakeholder meeting. Comments are due October 28.
The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires pictograms on labels to alert users of the chemical hazards to which they may be exposed. Each pictogram consists of a symbol on a white background framed within a red border and represents a distinct hazard(s). The pictogram on the label is determined by the chemical hazard classification.
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