SCTC Process Safety Management Audits
GM588
August 20, 2011
Johnny Morris

SCTC Process Safety Management Audits
Introduction
Safety Council Texas City (SCTC) is a not for profit organization that provides services to the local petrochemical industry (www.csctc.org, 2011). SCTC serves both the petrochemical facilities and the contractors that work in the facilities. The services provided are safety training that is both instructor-led and computer based training. SCTC also provides the service of writing safety plans also known as Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) manuals. At the request of the petrochemical industry facilities, SCTC also offers Process Safety Management (PSM) audits. These audits are a way to ensure and verify information contractors are providing based on their Pre-Qualification forms (PQF).
SCTC provides services to help contractors and their employees meet the requirements of the facilities. Contractors must meet requirements by completing a PQF and keeping it current on an annual basis. Contractors are also required to successfully complete a PSM audit which is based on the contractor’s scope of work.
PSM audits are based on the completion of the PQF. The PQF contains information such as contractor’s basic information, organizational finances, HSE manuals, training, and documentation. PSM audits are conducted by retired individuals within the industry with no real process management background. Although these individuals have several years of experience in the industry, they do not necessarily have the health, safety, and environmental background. The purpose of the PSM audits is to verify information as well as ensure that the contractor is following the federal guidelines of Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) (www.osha.gov, 2011). There are number of requirements that OSHA expects contractors and petrochemical