(101c) Regulating Inherent Safety

Learning Objectives: Contra Costa County is across the San Francisco Bay from San Francisco and is the home to four petroleum refineries and a number of small to medium chemical facilities. Contra Costa County became the first jurisdiction in the United States to require chemical plants and petroleum refineries to implement inherent safety reviews and make changes based on these reviews. The presentation will discuss the requirements of the regulations and successes and failures of the implementing the regulations.

The paper will describe the County's Ordinance, what has worked, and what has not worked and will include the following:

I Overview of Contra Costa's history with accidents and disasters II The County's Industrial Safety Ordinance III Inherent Safety Requirements A Ordinance references CCPS Concept Book Inherently Safer Chemical Processes: A Life Cycle Approach B How are facilities required to consider inherent safety C What methods are used to consider inherent safety D How often are facilities required to review existing process for inherent safety E When are facilities required to implement changes based on inherent safety reviews IV How Contra Costa Health Services ensures that the facilities are implementing inherent safety A Audits sites at least once every three years B Unannounced inspections C Follow up on the action items from the audits and inspections D Education V Examples of how inherent safety has been applied