Further Thoughts on the Meaning of Process Safety Management
In a recent post ― Three Words: Process Safety Management ― we used the three words ‘Process’ + ‘Safety’ + ‘Management’ to help define what we mean by that phrase. In this post we explore other definitions.
The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) defines Process Safety Management as follows,
A management system that is focused on prevention of, preparedness for, mitigation of, response to, and restoration from catastrophic releases of chemicals or energy from a process associated with a facility.
This definition is written at the 21st grade reading level, so it is not easy to follow. Probably the key word in this definition is ‘catastrophic’ ― the focus is on the control of major incidents.
The CCPS provides additional guidance as to what constitutes a process safety event:
It must involve a chemical or have chemical process involvement.
It must be above a minimum reporting threshold.
It must occur at a process location. and
The release must be acute, i.e., it must occur over a short period of time.
Here we define process safety management somewhat differently.
Process Safety Management is an on-going management process that involves all managers, employees and contract workers. It minimizes uncontrolled change from operating intent by keeping the process within its safe limits.
This definition stresses the following features:
PSM is on-going; the management of process safety is never complete. In the words of the proverb,
There is always news about safety, and some of that news will be bad.
PSM involves all workers — the management of safety is not something that is restricted to those who have the word ‘manager’ in their title. Nor is process safety limited to direct employees. If a contract worker is on site for just one day, he or she is a part of the process safety program.
Safe limits are properly defined, everyone knows what those limits are, and they know what to do if the limits are breached.
