PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT STANDARD (PSM)

PSM - Created by OSHA in 1992

- Outlines requirements for companies dealing with potentially hazardous chemicals.

Information regarding process safety must be available to employees to help them

accurately identify and fully understand all hazards in addition to process limitations,
process chemistry, process diagrams, and deviations from all normal processes.

Training program is implemented to ensure ensures employees understand all health and
safety hazards.

Mandatory Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) must be completed along with Hazards
Operability Study (HAZOP).

Every 5 years after an initial analysis, the employers of the plant must complete an
updated PHA.

Ethanol plant will have at least two PHAs because its tentative run-length is ten years.

Safety Features
1st
level

Primary Safety
Features
(Designs, Plans,
Procedures)

Should rely more on

design to prevent
accidents as opposed
to primarily operating
procedures and
equipment.

-Process safety
management
procedures along
with a risk
management plan
-PHA and HAZOP
-Emergency Plans

-Establish
acceptable
levels of risk
-A risk
assessment and
analysis should
be completed

2nd
level

Secondary Safety
Features

-Sprinkler systems to
prevent the occurrence of
fire.
- Pressure relief systems to
prevent overpressure
(Rupture Discs, Safety
Relief Valves) in the pipes,
storage tanks, reactor,
etc

-Fire alarms,
monitors, control
systems
-Gas detection
systems which
detect flammable
gases at low
concentrations.

-Backup
generators (to
support utilities
and alarms).

3rd
level

Containment
Systems

Trenches, Extra Barriers

4th
level

Emergency
shutdown systems

Ethane C2H6

Ethanol CH3CH2OH

Ethylene C2H4

TLV = 1000 ppm

TWA= 1000 ppm

TWA= 200 ppm

PEL= 5mg
(Zr)/m3

Hazards Flammable,
harmful if inhaled

Flammable, volatile,
harmful if inhaled,
ingested

Flammable, volatile,
harmful if inhaled, contact
with skin

Mechanica
l irritation

Safety
Feature
s in
Ethanol
Plant

-Trenches built in
appropriate areas within
the plant to deal with
ethanol spill.
-Trenches minimize the
amount of vapor
released from spills and
prevents the ethanol
from collecting around
the leaking tanks.

-Gas detection systems

which measure flammable
gases such as ethylene at
low concentrations must
be installed to mitigate
the risks posed by
ethylene.

Limits

-Pipes should not

be placed in/near
trenches should be
avoided.
-Due to its density,
it is possible for
ethane to stick to
ground level and
flash back to their
source if a source
of ignition is
encountered.

-Pipes must be corrosion

resistant since high
grades of ethanol can
corrupt our piping
system made of carbon

-Welded pipes should be

used when dealing with
hazardous chemicals.
Usage of flexible
connectors should be
minimal.

Water H2O

-Steam causes
burns, may
rupture pipes,
pressure relief
system
necessary.
-Thermal
insulation
must be
installed on
metallic
equipment
which heats to
60oC or higher
to prevent

Zirconiu
m
tungstate
(Zr(WO4)2
)