Coming soon · Book Profile
Guidelines Implementing Process Safety
A practical, step-by-step guide for the person tasked with designing, developing, and installing process safety management (PSM) systems within a chemical plant or company.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Written by the AIChE Center for Chemical Process Safety, this guidebook fills the gap between knowing what process safety management should contain and actually making it happen inside a real organization. It walks the designated PSM 'champion' through a chronological implementation process—securing top-management commitment, defining goals and selecting a framework, evaluating the current status, developing a detailed plan, designing specific management systems, pilot testing and installing them, and finally measuring and monitoring results. Rich with worksheets, sample documents, matrices, troubleshooting hints, and a full fictional case study (Midwest Chemicals and Plastics), the book insists there is no single 'right' way to implement PSM; effective programs are fully integrated into a company's own culture, priorities, and organization. It is the essential 'how-to' companion for turning process-safety principles into working, sustainable management systems.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A safety professional or designated PSM 'champion' who is called upon to design, develop, and install process safety management systems within their plant or company—someone who must 'make it happen.'
- The problem
- They must build and install a comprehensive PSM system that crosses multiple functional areas of the organization, with no single formula to follow. They feel the weight of a complex, long-term task, worry about winning management support and cooperation, and fear implementing PSM piecemeal or ineffectively.
- The plan
- Get genuine top-management commitment by selecting the right sponsor and selling the need for PSM.
- Define goals: select a PSM framework and characterize your company-specific attributes through a team.
- Evaluate the present status using audits or surveys to identify gaps and overlaps.
- Develop a detailed implementation plan: strategy, priorities, resources, and schedule.
- Develop specific PSM systems using TQM, model programs, or business process redesign.
- The payoff
- A fully integrated, working PSM system reflecting the company's business priorities, culture, and organization. · Improved overall safety performance plus benefits over and above compliance—efficiency, cost savings, reduced downtime, and competitive advantage. · Local ownership and companywide participation with systems that continuously improve over time.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- Construction Safety Management · Levitt, R.E. and Samelson, N.M.
Cited frequently throughout the book as a foundational text on the principles of managing safety specifically within the construction context, covering topics from management's role to cost implications.
- Construction Safety · Hinze, J.
Referenced in multiple chapters as an authoritative source on accident causation, safety performance measurement, and the specific hazards and controls relevant to the construction industry.
- Managing the Risks of Organisational Accidents · Reason, J.T.
This book is cited for its influential theories on systemic accident causation, human error, and the concept of safety culture, providing a theoretical underpinning for many of the arguments made about moving beyond blaming individuals.
- Rethinking Construction (The Egan Report) · Egan, J.
Frequently mentioned as a key driver for change in the UK construction industry, its recommendations for improving efficiency, integration, and teamwork through concepts like partnering are directly linked to creating a better culture for safety.
- Constructing the Team (The Latham Report) · Latham, M.
Cited as a landmark report that diagnosed the adversarial, conflict-ridden nature of the UK construction industry, providing the context for why new collaborative approaches like partnering are seen as essential for improving all aspects of performance, including safety.
- Application of the New Production Philosophy to Construction · Lauri Koskela (1992)
This is the seminal report that catalyzed the Lean Construction movement. The entire book is framed as a 25-year review and advancement of the ideas first presented in this paper.
- The Toyota Way · Jeffrey K. Liker (2004)
Cited frequently as the source for understanding the 14 principles of the Toyota Production System, which provides the philosophical and practical foundation for Lean thinking.
- Program Policy Manual (PPM) · Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
The book frequently cites the PPM as the definitive source for interpreting how MSHA standards are to be applied in practice, providing crucial context beyond the raw regulations.
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Consensus Standards · NFPA
Chapter 12 on Fire Prevention explicitly lists several NFPA standards (e.g., NFPA 10, NFPA 13) as resources for mine operators seeking further information on firefighting equipment and systems.
- Dust Control Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing · National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Recommended in Chapter 30 as a must-read resource for M/NM operators seeking to implement engineering controls to comply with the new Part 60 silica standard.