Performing Risk Assessments: Dust and Process Safety
Background of Safety Risk Assessments In 1992, OSHA launched Process Safety Management (PSM) to address industries that handle highly hazardous chemicals, under OSHA Standard 29CFR 1910.119. This standard seems straightforward but was revolutionary in its impact on process safety improvements across multiple industries where flammable, combustible and toxic chemicals are used in sufficient quantities to pose a hazard to personnel or public safety. One of the fourteen elements of PSM that has been an indispensable tool in managing chemical hazards is the Process Hazard Analysis (PHA). A PHA is a systematic way to identify the hazards and quantify the risks…