Process Safety Management (PSM) Flashcards
7 cards from real CESCO practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Process Safety Management (PSM) flashcards as text
Under OSHA PSM, employers must certify that operating procedures are current and accurate. How often must this certification occur?
Answer: Annually
29 CFR 1910.119(f)(3) requires employers to annually certify that they have evaluated operating procedures and that the procedures are current and accurate.
A 'near miss' under PSM incident investigation requirements is best described as:
Answer: An unplanned event that did not result in injury or release but had the potential to do so
PSM requires investigation of near misses — incidents that could reasonably have resulted in a catastrophic release — because they reveal system failures before a catastrophic event occurs.
The PSM standard requires employers using contractors who perform maintenance or repair work on or near covered processes to evaluate contractor safety programs. This is part of which PSM element?
Answer: Contractors
The Contractors element of PSM requires host employers to evaluate contractor safety performance, inform contractors of known hazards, and control contractor access to the process.
Bow-tie analysis in process safety management connects:
Answer: Threat/cause pathways through a central hazardous event to consequences, with barriers on both sides
Bow-tie analysis graphically depicts threats leading to a central hazardous event (the knot) and consequences on the right, with barriers (controls) shown on both the prevention and mitigation sides.
Which of the following BEST describes a 'layer of protection' in process safety terminology (LOPA)?
Answer: An independent safeguard that can prevent a hazardous scenario from progressing to a consequence
In Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA), each layer is an independent protection layer (IPL) that prevents a hazard from escalating, such as a relief valve, interlock, or procedural safeguard.
Under PSM's Employee Participation element, employers must develop a written plan of action regarding employee participation and consult with employees on:
Answer: The conduct and development of process hazard analyses and other PSM elements
PSM requires employers to consult with employees and their representatives on the conduct and development of PHAs and all other PSM elements, and to provide access to process hazard analysis information.
When a PSM-covered facility plans to permanently shut down a covered process, which PSM element is most directly applicable to managing the decommissioning safely?
Answer: Management of Change
Permanent shutdown constitutes a significant change to the process, triggering the Management of Change element to ensure hazards introduced during decommissioning are identified and controlled.