ResponsibleAg launches PSM compliance tools

Washington—ResponsibleAg has developed a toolkit of online materials to help agricultural retailers comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) standard. OSHA issued a revised interpretation of the PSM’s “retail exemption” last summer that much more narrowly defines the term “retail facility” as an establishment that sells chemicals only in “small packages, containers, or allotments.” As a result, many retail facilities that sell bulk anhydrous ammonia and previously claimed the exemption were told they would now have to come into full compliance with the procedural, operational, and organizational design standards of the PSM standard, which OSHA says it will now enforce on Oct. 1, 2016. The ResponsibleAg materials were developed with assistance from the Asmark Institute, ARA, TFI, and OSHA, and are available at www.responsibleag.org. “A rule of PSM’s scope and depth creates incredible compliance challenges for small businesses, and we urge retailers to take advantage of this opportunity,” said ResponsibleAg Executive Director Bill Qualls. “Given the time involved in compliance, and the seasonal nature of the retail business, being ready for PSM compliance in September necessitates becoming involved now.”