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Process Safety Management Solutions - Consulting Services

Even before the regulatory agencies mandated that companies perform process safety management (PSM) activities, ABS Consulting was providing industry with PSM services. Since 1978, ABS Consulting has provided PSM services to a variety of companies in both the U.S. and Canada. We can provide an extensive list of references to verify our commitment to quality and customer service in providing PSM services. Following a strategy that has been successful with other clients, we recommend a three-phase approach to ABS Consulting support of client efforts to implement PSM systems at a facility. The following sections describe our technical approach to these phases.

Phase 1 - Conduct PSM/Accident Prevention Assessment

ABS Consulting engineers will team with your personnel to conduct a PSM assessment at your facility. During a 2- to 5-day site visit, ABS Consulting engineers will (1) interview your personnel, (2) review existing management systems to determine what policies, procedures, and information sources are available to help satisfy the OSHA PSM and the EPA RMP regulations, and (3) develop specific recommendations for improving the facility's PSM programs.

Our activities and consulting will address PSM/RMP coverage issues and all of the elements required by the PSM and accident prevention requirements of the two regulations. (Note: In the following text, the acronym "PSM" refers to both OSHA's process safety management regulation and the accident prevention provisions of EPA's risk management program rule.) During the visit, our engineers will work with your personnel to outline the steps that your plant should take to improve PSM activities at the facility. If a PSM program exists at your facility, we will help ensure its effectiveness and that it covers all of the requirements of the regulations. Our engineers will guide the discussions and contribute ideas based on extensive experience at other facilities. ABS Consulting's expertise in process safety and risk management should help your staff select an efficient and effective PSM improvement and maintenance strategy based on your available resources.

ABS Consulting engineers will document the PSM assessment and implementation plan in a brief letter report to your facility. The report will:

1. Summarize the OSHA PSM and EPA accident prevention requirements

2. Identify specific policy/procedure improvements needed

3. Present our recommendations for the most effective way to provide the required improvements

The decision on how to proceed with PSM development and improvement activities is retained by the client, based on available facility and corporate resources.

Phase 2 - Develop/Improve Selective PSM Programs

If your facility requests, ABS Consulting will proceed to develop and/or improve specific PSM programs for the facility. The product of this effort will be draft programs for the selected PSM elements. In developing or improving these programs, we will take full advantage of any existing programs, OSHA guidance, and industry standards and practices to develop cost-effective programs for your facility. However, your plant will need to review those programs carefully to ensure that they satisfy your company's corporate needs and that they address your plant’s understanding of the performance-based requirements of the OSHA PSM regulation. In our PSM development experience, we have found it very important to ensure that new (or extensively revised) PSM programs are consistent with the existing "culture" of the facility, and we will strive to develop such programs. However, only thorough review by your personnel can provide assurance that the programs meet that objective.

Based on your plant's comments, we will revise the draft PSM programs and will provide them to your plant in both paper and electronic format. At the end of Phase 2, we will also propose costs for the specific implementation efforts that you indicate ABS Consulting should provide.

Phase 3 - Execute Specific PSM Activities

ABS Consulting can provide process safety engineers to help your plant execute the steps outlined in the facility PSM programs. The level of assistance will depend upon (1) the specific tasks that are needed and (2) the availability of qualified personnel in your company to perform these tasks. We may be particularly helpful to facilities by leading and documenting PHAs, developing management of change programs, reviewing operating procedures, establishing mechanical integrity programs, conducting incident investigations, leading compliance audits, and/or by training your personnel to perform such activities.

ABS Consulting engineers will help you devise strategies and plans for an overall facility PSM program. We will (1) determine the PSM activities currently in existence at the facility via a PSM audit, (2) perform a hazard screening study of the facility, and (3) develop a draft of the PSM implementation program plan.

PSM Written Program Manuals

A written program for process safety management (PSM) defines the roles, responsibilities, and specific activities to be carried out by personnel in the plant to prevent major chemical accidents. These written programs formally define the structure for PSM so it can be communicated to everyone in the plant involved in the system. PSM written programs are needed for many reasons (see the paragraph below). Moreover, PSM written programs document the performance expectations for the PSM system in a way that can be followed consistently throughout the life of the plant. This documentation is particularly important to maintain your company's institutional memory for PSM activities. Often a plant's PSM written program takes the form of a manual with a section on each of the individual PSM systems in place at the facility.

For more information, contact:

David Whittle
Director of Process Safety
1-865-671-5819 | dwhittle@absconsulting.com