Two Plants, One Fence Line: Process Safety Management in Shared Facilities

This article is based on a presentation given at the AIChE 2019 Spring Meeting and 15th Global Congress on Process Safety, New Orleans, LA, Mar. 31–Apr. 3, 2019.

All employers within a shared site have a responsibility to effectively communicate process safety hazards and coordinate emergency response planning.

As aging facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI) are sold and repurposed, it has become more common for multiple companies to operate at a single site. This scenario creates unique challenges for effective process safety management (PSM).

This article explores the responsibilities of the owner/operator of a plant located within a shared facility in the context of the risk-based process safety (RBPS) approach to PSM developed by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS). Specifically, the RBPS elements of Stakeholder Outreach and Conduct of Operations are examined in detail.

Additionally, the article explores the element of Emergency Response through a case study in which an incident occurred at a shared site that originated as a single plant more than a half century ago. The case study provides guidance for effective PSM practices when more than one entity is responsible for the operation of processes within a single boundary.

Although safety guidelines or requirements for multiemployer worksites exist, they often focus on the relationship between contractors and the site owner/operator (1). The case study in this article is unique because it explores the PSM responsibilities of two chemical manufacturers that operate independently at the same site.