Process Safety Management Standards Rulemaking Advisory Meetings

Title 8. Industrial Relations
Division 1. Department of Industrial Relations
Chapter 4. Division of Industrial Safety
Subchapter 7. General Industry Safety Orders
Group 16. Control of Hazardous substances
Article 109. Hazardous Substances and Processes

January 9, 2025
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Virtual Meeting
Microsoft Teams

As a result of a settlement agreement between the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), the Western States Petroleum Association (“WSPA”) and the California Environmental Protection Agency, Cal/OSHA is engaging in a regulatory action to amend the Process Safety Management standards (“PSM”), General Industry Safety Orders section 5189.1 (“PSM amendments”).

The proposed regulatory text sets forth the following amendments:

Subsection (c) Definitions:

  • Revises “Highly Hazardous Material” to add that highly hazardous material does not include any substance in quantities below the lesser of thresholds set forth in the California Hazardous Materials Business Plan rules at the California Health and Safety Code section 25507(a)(1)(A) or Tables 1, 2, and 3 in CCR, title 19, section 5130.6.
  • Revises “Major Change” with numbering and adds that a major change includes any alteration in a process, process equipment, or process chemistry that results in any operational change outside of established safe operating limits. An alteration in process or process equipment does not include a replacement in kind. For subsections 2, 3, and 4, an introduction of new process equipment or alteration in process or process equipment must result in an operation change outside of established safe operating limits to be considered a major change.
  • Revises who may qualify as an “Employee Representative”.

Subsection (l)(4)(D): Revises what information may be considered in identifying, analyzing, and documenting publically available information on inherent safety measures and safeguards.

Subsection (l)(4)(E): Adds that the team responsible for conducting the Hazard Controls Analysis (HCA) shall consider all process safety hazards that may be impacted by a particular safety measure or safeguard and shall select those safety measures or safeguards that, in the team’s judgment, are most effective at reducing all such process safety hazards.

Subsection(l)(5): Adds that the HCA team include in their HCA report the rationale for not recommending any inherent safety measures and safeguards analyzed by the team and identified pursuant to subsection (l)(4)(D).

Subsection (q)(1): Adds a new subsection (q)(1)(D) with respect to employee participation.

Subsection (q)(2): Revises this subsection to state that the written employee-participation plan will determine how employees are selected to participate in overall PSM program development, implementation planning, PSM teams, and other activities.

Prior to the submission of the PSM amendments, Cal/OSHA is required to convene and hold at least one Advisory Committee Meeting concerning the proposed PSM amendments.

The advisory committee will consist of employers, employer representatives, worker representatives, trade associations, labor organizations, community groups, and public agencies.

Meeting Documents

Instructions for Attending Remotely

Background Information

February 2025