Process Safety Management (PSM): Definition, History & Compliance

The term process safety management refers to a regulation issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The United States Department of Labor oversees OSHA and the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals standard.

History

• The Process Safety Management standard was made public on February 24, 1992. OSHA gave businesses until May 26, 1997 to completely comply with the new standards.

Benefits

• OSHA developed process safety management to regulate the use and handling of hazardous chemicals in the workplace. The standard has specific guidelines for the use of many types of hazardous materials, from explosives to ammonia.

Function

• The Process Safety Management standard involves compliance in multiple areas of a corporation's daily activities. These include employee involvement, operating procedures, training, safety reviews, incident investigation and emergency planning and response.