Process Safety Management

What are the hazards associated with the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals?

There is a potential for an accidental release any time highly hazardous chemicals are not properly controlled, creating the possibility of disaster resulting in employee fatalities and serious injuries, as well as extensive property damage.

What can I do to protect myself?

Employees should ensure that they have been informed about any chemical processes in their work area(s) and know about procedures associated with changes to these processes. Employers are required to ensure that employees have been trained about the health and physical hazards of chemicals in their work areas and about any processes involving any high hazardous chemicals.

What resources are available to assist employers?

Safety and Health Programs

Example process safety management plan, hazardous chemical emergency response plan, hazard communication program, respirator program, HAZWOPER Safety and Health Program, emergency action plan (Construction and General Industry), fire prevention plan (Construction and General Industry) and PPE and hazard analysis can be downloaded and customized to fit an individual workplace. Other example safety and health programs are available for employers to download and adapt to their specific conditions. 

In addition, the workplace self-inspection checklist [short (General Industry/Construction) and long (General Industry/Construction)] includes a discussion of exits and exit routes and can be adapted for use in the workplace. 

Training and Outreach Services

These presentation on hazard communication, respiratory protection and personal protective equipment, and exit routes, emergency action and fire prevention plans can assist employers in training their staff.  These presentations should be modified to address site-specific conditions and hazards. Other example presentations are available along with pre-recorded webinars which can be accessed at any time. 

In addition, the education, training and technical assistance bureau provides free online safety and health training and outreach services (i.e., speaker's bureau requests, safety booths) upon request. 

Lastly, the NCDOL Library offers free safety and health videos (including streaming video services) and related research assistance on consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, NFPA, NEC). 

Safety and Health Topics

Other relevant resources can be found on the safety and health topic pages for exits and exit routes, hazard communication, personal protective equipment, HAZWOPER, emergency action plans, ammonia/ammonia refrigeration, respiratory protection, emergency response, hierarchy of controls and fire prevention plans. 

Consultation Services

The consultative services bureau provides free and confidential onsite consultation regarding worksite safety and health hazards.

Which standards apply?

OSH has adopted the following standards applicable to process safety management in North Carolina. This is not all inclusive.

Note: Please also check the standards information and activity webpage to see if there has been any recent or upcoming regulatory activity on this topic. 

General Industry

• 29 CFR 1910.119 - process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals

Construction

• 29 CFR 1926.64 - process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals

Additional OSH standards that pertain to process safety management include the following:

General Industry

• 29 CFR 1910.38 - emergency action plans
• 29 CFR 1910.120 - HAZWOPER, general industry
• 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I - personal protective equipment
• 29 CFR 1910.1200 - hazard communication

Construction

• 29 CFR 1926.65 - HAZWOPER, construction

Recordkeeping

• Refer to Recording and Reporting

Other Applicable Standards

The Which OSHA Standards Apply webpage can also help identify other standards that may be applicable to your worksite.

Where can I learn more?

Compliance Documents

• Compliance Directive - CPL 02-01-065 - Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, establishes enforcement policy and provides an explanation of the standard to ensure uniform enforcement.
• Compliance Directive - CPL 03-00-21, Process Safety Management (PSM) Covered Facilities, describes a National Emphasis Program for inspecting all facilities with highly hazardous chemicals in amounts at or above the threshold quantities listed in 29 CFR 1910.119 - process safety management of highly hazardous materials.
• Compliance Directive - CPL 02-00-124 - Multi-Employer Citation Policy provides guidance to Compliance Officers regarding the issuance of citations for employers who exercise control in creating, controlling, exposing and correcting hazards for their employees and those of other employers on site.
• Memo - Recognized And Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) in Process Safety Management (PSM) Enforcement, provides guidance on the enforcement of the PSM standard's RAGAGEP requirements, including how to interpret "shall" and "should" language in published codes, standards, technical reports, recommended practices or similar documents, as well as the use of internal employer documents as RAGAGEP.
• Memo - Process Safety Management (PSM) Retail Exemption Enforcement Policy, the OSH Division adopts the above-mentioned process safety management retail exemption enforcement policy for use in North Carolina.
• Memo - Process Safety Management (PSM) Guidance: Appendix A Threshold Quantities, revised OSHA's enforcement policy on the concentration of a chemical that must be in a process to meet or exceed the threshold quantity (TQ) specified in Appendix A of 29 CFR 1910.119.
• CFR 114 - Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals; Explosives and Blasting Agents; Final Rule provides the promulgation of the rule.

Industry Guides

• Industry Guide 48 - OSHA Construction Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training provides requirements for standards related to process safety management.
• Industry Guide 49 - OSHA General Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training provides requirements for standards related to process safety management.

Fact Sheets

• NCDOL Investigates Hazardous Chemical Release, provides the investigation process for accidents involving the unexpected release of highly hazardous chemicals.

Technical Assistance

Inquiries about workplace safety and health requirements can be submitted to Ask OSH through the online form, by email to ask.osh@labor.nc.gov, or by phone at 919-707-7876.