Chemical facility working group gives safety update
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Washington – The Chemical Facility Safety and Security Working Group on June 9 published an update on actions taken to comply with a 2013 Executive Order on improving chemical facility safety and security.
The group, which was established under the Executive Order, notes that the following actions have been taken since its May 2014 status report:
- OSHA and EPA have taken steps to update their Process Safety Management Standard and Risk Management Plan, respectively.
- An advisory on ammonium nitrate was reissued to incorporate stakeholder comments and latest practices.
President Barack Obama issued the Executive Order following an April 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX, that killed 15 people and injured more than 160.
“Safety and security are a shared commitment,” OSHA administrator David Michaels said in a June 9 blog post. “We are committed to preventing more incidents like this one in West, TX, and ensuring that every worker comes home to their family safe and healthy at the end of every shift.”
The working group comprises several federal agencies and departments and is led by the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.