Learn the Issues
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How often must employees complete refresher training?
How often must employees of facilities that are subject to the risk management program complete refresher training? A facility owner or operator must provide refresher training at least every three years, and more often if necessary, to each employee operating a process in order to ensure that the employee understands…
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PHA revisions to consider offsite consequences
If I need to revise a PHA to consider off-site consequences, when do I have to do that? In general, for a PHA originally completed to meet the requirements of OSHA PSM that did not consider offsite consequences, you should revise the PHA to consider offsite consequences when you update…
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Do compliance audits cover non-prevention program requirements?
Does the compliance audit requirement cover all of the Part 68 requirements or just the prevention program requirements? The compliance audit requirement applies only to the prevention programs under Subpart C. If you have a Program 2 process, you must certify that you have evaluated compliance with the Program 2…
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Applicability of compliance audit provisions to emergency response programs
I have a Program 2 covered process and a Program 3 covered process at my stationary source, and I am required to conduct compliance audits certifying that I have evaluated compliance with my prevention program requirements at least every three years (40 CFR Sections 68.58 and 68.79). Do these provisions…
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Changing from a Program 2 or 3 process to a Program 1 process
If five years have passed since the last accident involving a covered process, and that process meets the other two requirements identified under 40 CFR §68.10(b) for Program 1 eligibility, could that process become a Program 1 process even if it had previously been identified as a Program 2 or…
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Applicability of program levels and prevention program requirements for co-located vessels
I have a tank with 1,000,000 pounds of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), which is covered under the RMP rule, but not under OSHA PSM. Considered by itself, the TDI would be Program 2 for EPA. The tank, however, is close to equipment that has chlorine above the applicable threshold and is…
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Are processes subject to delegated state OSHA programs classified as program level 3?
If my state administers the OSHA program under a delegation from the federal OSHA, does that mean that my processes that are subject to OSHA PSM under the state rules are in Program 3? Yes, as long as the process does not qualify for Program 1. Any process subject to…
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When must an incident investigation be initiated for Program 2 and 3 processes?
When must a stationary source owner or operator begin conducting incident investigations as required under 40 CFR §68.60 (for Program 2 processes) or 40 CFR §68.81 (for Program 3 processes)? For both Program 2 and Program 3 processes, the incident investigation must be initiated as soon as possible, but not…
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Does a PHA for OSHA satisfy EPA's PHA requirement for Program 3?
The risk management program regulations require that an initial process hazard analysis (PHA) for each Program 3 process be completed no later than June 21, 1999 (or by the time the process first has more than a threshold quantity of a regulated substance, if that occurs after June 21, 1999)…
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Breaking a process into separate units to comply with prevention program requirements
Do I have to do my hazard review, process hazard analysis, or other prevention activity on the whole process or can I break it into separate units? Once you have determined that you have a covered process, you can divide the covered process any way you want to implement the…
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What constitutes a revision of the PHA?
The rule states that I have to update my RMP whenever I revise a PHA. What constitutes a revised PHA? Every time I go through management of change procedures I make a notation in the PHA file for the process, but would that constitute a revised PHA if the change…
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Applicability of prevention program for complex processes
My process is a series of storage and process vessels, connected by piping, containing several regulated substances, with a few co-located tanks of other substances. Do I have to implement one prevention program to cover all aspects of the process even if different operators, different process chemistry, and different hazards…
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Maintenance requirements for leased tanks
I use propane as a raw material in my manufacturing process. I lease the tank from the propane supplier. The supplier does all the maintenance. My staff never work on the equipment. What should I do? As part of your contract with the supplier, it would be helpful to gain…
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RMP Program Level 2 and 3 compliance audit frequency
Pursuant to the risk management program regulations, facilities with Program Level 2 and 3 processes must perform compliance audits at least once every three years (40 CFR §§68.58 and 68.79). Do regulated facilities have to perform the audits within exactly three years or can facilities perform the audits any time…
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Does an owner or operator of a facility with a Program 3 process need to maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) under the risk management program regulations?
An owner or operator of a facility with a Program 3 process must compile information pertaining to the hazards of the regulated substances in the process, including toxicity information; permissible exposure limits; physical data; reactivity data; corrosivity data; thermal and chemical stability data; and hazardous effects of inadvertent mixing of…
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Does a five-year update satisfy the requirement to conduct a compliance audit?
The owner or operator of a stationary source with a Program 2 or Program 3 process must conduct a compliance audit at least every three years to ensure compliance with the prevention program requirements and must revise and update the risk management plan (RMP) at least every five years (§§68.58…
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Program Level 2 and 3 compliance audits
Facilities with Program Level 2 and 3 processes must perform compliance audits at least once every three years (40 CFR §§68.58 and 68.79). How does a facility submit its compliance audit to EPA? Facilities are not required to submit three year compliance audits to EPA; however, facilities should maintain records…
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Is a hazard review synonymous with a process hazard analysis (PHA)?
The prevention program requirements under 40 CFR Part 68, Subparts C and D, include hazard reviews and process hazard analyses. Is a hazard review synonymous with a process hazard analysis (PHA)? No. A hazard review is different from a PHA. A hazard review is part of the Program 2 prevention…
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Do Program 1 processes have to complete a process hazard analysis?
Do owners or operators of Program 1 processes have to complete a process hazard analysis? No. The Program 1 requirements do not include a process hazard analysis (40 CFR §68.12(b)). Program 3 processes require completion of a process hazard analysis (40 CFR §68.12(d)(3)) while Program 2 processes must complete a…
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Applicability of compliance audit provisions to non-prevention program elements
I have a Program 2 covered process and a Program 3 covered process at my stationary source. I am required (by 40 CFR Section 68.58 and 40 CFR Section 68.79) to certify compliance with prevention program requirements every three years. These compliance audits specifically address the prevention program portions of…