The disastrous Union Carbide chemical leak in 1984 in the city of Bhopal, India, released about 45 tons of methyl isocyanate, killing thousands leaving millions of others with respiratory problems, eye irritation or blindness, and other maladies. The 1989 Phillips disaster at the company’s Houston Chemical Complex facility near Pasadena, Texas, was a series of explosions and fire that registered 3.5 on the Richter scale, killed 23 employees, and left hundreds injured.
In response to these tragic accidents, on February 24, 1992, OSHA implemented the Final Rule for Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals. Officially adopted in 1996, OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.119 established uniform policies, procedures, standard clarifications, and compliance guidance for enforcement of the standard for Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals. The standard, which was intended to eliminate or mitigate the consequences of harmful releases, emphasizes the application of management controls when addressing the risks associated with handling or working near hazardous chemicals.
EHS Support’s PSM experts work closely with clients to conduct comprehensive inspections under the PSM standard that evaluate the procedures used by the client and other stakeholders to manage the hazards associated with processes using highly hazardous chemicals.
