OSHA Process Safety Management Compliance Training Course

Course overview

Facilities handling threshold quantities of highly hazardous chemicals must be able to demonstrate that their process safety management system is more than a set of procedures. PSM leaders need to connect process safety information, hazard analyses, operating procedures, mechanical integrity records, training evidence, management of change files and audit findings into a defensible compliance framework. This course addresses the practical challenge of interpreting OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119, identifying weak elements before an inspection or incident exposes them, and assigning corrective actions that can be verified.

Participants work through all 14 elements of OSHA Process Safety Management, with close attention to the evidence an employer must maintain and the interfaces between elements. They learn to determine PSM-covered processes and threshold quantities; assemble process safety information; facilitate and document PHA actions using What-If, HAZOP and LOPA concepts; control operating procedures and contractor activities; manage mechanical integrity; conduct pre-startup safety reviews; and administer management of change, incident investigation, compliance audits and trade-secret requirements. The course also compares OSHA PSM obligations with EPA Risk Management Program requirements where both apply.

Instructor-led technical briefings are paired with document reviews, scenario-based workshops and team exercises built around a simulated chemical processing unit. Participants examine sample P&IDs, operating procedures, MOC packages, inspection records and audit observations, then test whether the evidence meets PSM expectations. Each participant leaves with a PSM compliance gap-assessment workbook, an element-by-element evidence checklist, and a 90-day action plan tailored to a selected process or facility.

The programme is designed for experienced HSE, operations, engineering, maintenance and process safety personnel who influence the design, operation, assurance or improvement of covered processes.

Course objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Determine PSM coverage by applying Appendix A threshold quantities and process boundary definitions
• Build a process safety information register covering chemical hazards, process technology and equipment design data
• Evaluate PHA quality using What-If, HAZOP and LOPA documentation criteria
• Develop operating procedure controls for startup, normal operations, emergency shutdown and temporary operations
• Design a mechanical integrity evidence trail for critical process equipment inspections, tests and deficiency closure
• Review management of change packages for technical basis, hazard review, authorization, training and document updates
• Conduct an OSHA PSM compliance audit using an element-based interview and record-sampling protocol
• Produce a prioritized PSM gap-assessment report and 90-day corrective-action plan

Benefits of attending

Target competencies

Who should attend

• Process Safety Managers — who own or coordinate PSM programme performance across covered processes
• HSE Managers — who must assure regulatory compliance and present defensible evidence to leadership or regulators
• Operations Managers — who control operating procedures, workforce practices and implementation of PHA actions
• Process Engineers — who maintain process safety information and provide technical input to hazard reviews and MOC
• Maintenance and Reliability Managers — who manage mechanical integrity systems for PSM-critical equipment
• Plant Managers — who allocate resources, approve corrective actions and remain accountable for major-hazard controls

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have working experience in an industrial facility that handles hazardous chemicals, such as refining, chemicals, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, food processing or bulk storage. They should understand basic process flow diagrams or P&IDs, operating procedures, maintenance work orders, permit-to-work controls and incident reporting. Familiarity with hazard identification, risk matrices and the purpose of a process hazard analysis is helpful. Participants do not need to be HAZOP facilitators, lawyers, or users of specialist risk software. A laptop with spreadsheet and PDF-reading capability is recommended for workbook exercises but is not mandatory.

Training methodology

The course combines instructor-led interpretation of OSHA PSM requirements with facilitated review of realistic plant records. Participants work in small teams to define a covered process, inspect process safety information, challenge PHA and MOC documentation, trace mechanical integrity evidence, and test audit findings against field scenarios. Short case studies examine common failure patterns, including action-item backlog, undocumented temporary changes and contractor-control gaps. On the final day, each participant applies the course checklists to a selected workplace process and develops an evidence-based improvement plan for management review.

Course outline

Day 1: PSM scope, purpose and programme architecture

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 structure and enforcement focus
• Highly hazardous chemical threshold quantities and Appendix A
• PSM-covered process boundaries and interconnected vessels
• Relationship between OSHA PSM and EPA Risk Management Program
• The 14 PSM elements and their operational interfaces
• PSM roles, accountability and document ownership
• Building an element-to-evidence compliance matrix

Workshop: Participants map a simulated facility's chemical inventory and process connections to determine PSM coverage and produce an initial element-to-evidence matrix.

Day 2: Process safety information and hazard analysis

• Chemical hazard information and safety data source validation
• Process technology data: chemistry, limits, consequences and inventories
• Equipment design information, P&IDs, relief systems and electrical classification
• What-If analysis structure and scenario development
• HAZOP guidewords, deviations, causes and safeguards
• LOPA screening and independent protection layer principles
• PHA recommendation tracking, revalidation and documentation quality

Workshop: Teams review a P&ID and process description, conduct a focused What-If/HAZOP worksheet session, and produce prioritized PHA recommendations.

Day 3: Operational controls, training and mechanical integrity

• Operating procedure requirements for normal, startup and emergency operations
• Safe operating limits and consequences of deviation
• Operator training, refresher training and competency verification
• Contractor selection, orientation, performance monitoring and injury logs
• Mechanical integrity scope for pressure vessels, piping, relief devices and controls
• Inspection and test planning using recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices
• Deficiency management, quality assurance and maintenance record traceability

Workshop: Participants audit an operating procedure and mechanical integrity record set, then produce a deficiency register with evidence requirements and owners.

Day 4: Change control, readiness and learning from events

• Management of change triggers and exclusions
• Technical basis, risk review and authorization in MOC packages
• Temporary change controls and expiration management
• Pre-startup safety review criteria and evidence collection
• Incident investigation scope, root cause analysis and contributing factors
• Corrective-action tracking, verification and effectiveness review
• Emergency planning interfaces with PSM and facility response arrangements

Workshop: Teams assess a proposed process modification, complete an MOC decision package, and create a pre-startup safety review checklist for the change.

Day 5: Compliance auditing and PSM improvement planning

• PSM compliance audit requirements and three-year audit cycle
• Audit planning, sampling strategy and interview protocols
• Writing evidence-based findings and distinguishing observations from nonconformities
• Ranking PSM gaps by regulatory exposure and process safety risk
• Corrective-action governance, due dates and closure verification
• Management review dashboards and leading process safety indicators
• 90-day PSM improvement plan development

Workshop: Participants conduct a mini compliance audit case review and produce a prioritized gap report, executive briefing and 90-day corrective-action plan.

Tools & standards covered

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 Process Safety Management, EPA 40 CFR Part 68 Risk Management Program, ANSI/ASSP Z590.3 Prevention through Design, CCPS Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures

A typical training day

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in the East Africa Time zone, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

How you can take this course

Certification

Participants who complete the full five days receive the Skillset Development Certificate of Completion, stating the course title, course code, dates and delivery format — suitable for professional-development records and employer reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions