Office of Management and Budget Chemical

OSHA exploring new PSM standard

November 11, 2013
Chemical safety Executive order Flammable Liquids Standard OSHA standards Process Safety Management Standard Spray Finishing Standard
refinery --Nov13

Washington – OSHA is considering a change to its Process Safety Management Standard and has sent a prerule-stage draft to the Office of Management and Budget for review.

The revised PSM Standard would attempt to address gaps in safety coverage, and the agency is looking into an update of its Flammable Liquids and Spray Finishing standards based on the latest consensus standards.

Among the options OSHA is considering:

  • Clarifying the PSM exemption for atmospheric storage tanks
  • Expanding coverage and requirements for reactivity hazards
  • Covering the mechanical integrity of safety-critical equipment

The draft was submitted to OMB for review on Nov. 9.

The government has been focusing greater attention on chemical facility safety and security following a series of recent disasters. In August, President Barack Obama issued an executive order calling on OSHA and several other agencies to take steps to improve chemical facility safety and security, including examining whether the PSM Standard should be expanded. OSHA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security began hosting “listening sessions” on the issue in November to gather input from stakeholders.