Washington State updates PSM rules for petroleum refineries

Employees who work in petroleum refineries face hazards from working with volatile chemicals. To combat these hazards and better protect workers, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) updated its process safety management (PSM) rules. The changes take effect December 27, 2024.

Some of the changes include:

• Identifying the most effective ways to control hazards;
• Conducting root cause analyses after significant accidents; and
• Analyzing hazards, safeguards and controls, mechanical factors, and process changes on a frequent basis and updating safety programs accordingly.

According to a news release, previous incidents such as the Tesoro explosion that killed seven workers in 2010, played a major role in L&I’s decision to update its PSM rules, which regulate how workplaces handle dangerous chemicals, specifically, petroleum refineries.

Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health said, "Refineries have to proactively eliminate and reduce risk—not just react. It has been decades since these rules were updated, and we know the capability of the industry to make these safety changes has improved during that time, so our rules needed to improve as well."