Preventing Chemical Accidents Training Project

Unexpected releases of highly hazardous toxic, reactive, or flammable chemicals create the possibility of a disaster for workers, employers, and communities. OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard helps prevent accidental releases of highly hazardous chemicals, thus protecting employees, as well as plant neighbors. NJ’s Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act (TCPA), a key environmental law, can be used to protect workers & communities in and around high hazard facilities. Effective worker training about PSM helps achieve safer, healthier, and more productive workplaces.

The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) can provide training for workers, union, and communities on key topics such as employee participation and NJ’s rule on inherently safer technology.

OSHA Announces Inspection Policy

On November 30, 2011, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) covering facilities that use highly hazard chemicals. Its purpose is to protect workers from injuries and deaths caused by catastrophic releases.

According to OSHA’s press release:

“The program establishes policies and procedures for inspecting workplaces that are covered by OSHA’s process safety management (PSM) standard. The program’s inspection process includes detailed questions designed to gather facts related to PSM requirements and verification that employers’ written and implemented PSM programs are consistent. The intent of the NEP is to conduct focused inspections at facilities randomly selected from a list of worksites likely to have highly hazardous chemicals in quantities covered by the standard.”

If your facility stores or uses large quantities of certain highly hazardous chemicals, it may be randomly selected for an inspection under the Process Safety Management (PSM) standard based on this list.

To see if your facility may be covered, check the List of Highly Hazardous Chemicals.

WEC can help prepare you for an OSHA NEP inspection. WEC’s training curriculum covers key components of the PSM standard to help gain an understanding of potential health and safety hazards.

Effective training about the PSM requirements can help us all achieve safer, healthier, and more productive workplaces.

Factsheets and Tools

WEC can also provide customizable training on other health and safety topics for your workplace. In some cases, there may be a nominal fee. For more information or to schedule training, please contact Cecelia Gilligan Leto at 609-882-6100, Ext. 308 or cgilliganleto @ njwec.org (no spaces).