Feasibility Study of Implementing Process Safety Management (PSM) Requirements in an Iranian Petrochemical Company

The establishment of good process safety management (PSM) is widely considered as the most effective means of improving safety levels in process industries. This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of establishing and implementing PSM requirements based on Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 standards (OHSAS 18001) and Health, Safety and Environment management systems (HSE-MS) in an Iranian petrochemical plant. Firstly, the requirements of PSM, OHSAS 18001 standards and HSE-MS were compared via literature review and their levels of agreement were determined. Next, the degree of implementation of PSM requirements at a selected petrochemical site was investigated. The study’s results show that PSM requirements complied with HSE-MS to a greater degree than with OHSAS 18001 standards. Although the plant studied had not yet formally applied process safety management requirements, based on the HSE-MS and OHSAS 18001 it had already applied, 67% of PSM requirements had in effect been put in place. By revising certain requirements of existing management systems, including PSM requirements in them, and providing the outstanding necessary documentation, this study concludes that the establishment of a PSM system in the plant is feasible.