(61b) Improved Process Safety Management and Simple Metrics

A process safety management (PSM) system was implemented at Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority (GCDWA) to enable management of the increased risks brought about by the introduction of large quantities of oxygen in the processing of chemical waste. This was a voluntary effort by GCWDA since they don't fall under the OSHA PSM Standard (29 CFR 1910.119). A tailored system was developed that could comply with the OSHA Standard if necessary, but included additional elements that improved on it and that are practiced in the U.S. leading chemical companies.

These elements include Management Commitment, Management Review, Conduct of Operations and Continuous Improvement. In order to allow for continuous and proactive management review simple metrics were created for each of the PSM elements rather than depend on a periodic audit or the common use of incident statistics.

This paper will deal with the implementation of the PSM system from both the perspectives of the consultant that helped in the implementation and the facility management that had to adopt it. The successes and some of the barriers for implementation in a small company will also be discussed as well as the management success in the year after its implementation