WASHINGTON – A working group under the guidance of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) released a report recently, highlighting current activities to improve chemical facility safety and security.
The report makes recommendations to improve chemical facility safety and security at chemical facilities. The working group was formed as a result of an Executive Order from President Obama after catastrophic events at a chemical facilities in Texas. The goal of the working group is to improve the safety and security of chemical facilities and reduce the risks of hazardous chemicals to facility workers and operators, communities, and responders. The Department of Labor says that chemicals and the facilities that manufacture, store, distribute and use them are essential to our economy and livelihood, but the handling and storage of chemicals can present a risk that must be addressed.
The report emphasizes that accomplishing a strategy requires a shared commitment among facility owners and operators; Federal, State, tribal, and territorial governments; regional entities; nonprofit organizations; facility workers; emergency responders; environmental justice and local environmental organizations; and communities.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, praised the report on Friday.
“As the West, Texas disaster reminded us, keeping our nation’s communities, workers, and first responders safe from the dangers associated with the handling and storage of hazardous chemicals should be a priority for all of us. I want to commend the President and his Executive Working Group for examining the issues related to these important matters and taking substantive steps toward improving health and safety for everyone. It is vitally important to ensure that such an unnecessary tragedy never occurs again, and I look forward to working with the appropriate agencies, especially the Department of Labor, on the policy recommendations contained in the report.”
The priority actions, captured in a consolidated action plan, based on the information collected by the working group, focus on five specific thematic areas:
- Strengthen Community Planning and Preparedness
- Enhance Federal Operational Coordination
- Improve Data Management
- Modernize Policies and Regulation
- Incorporate Stakeholder Feedback and Develop Best Practices
The Department of Labor said it will now transition to this implementation, an effort that will be completed over time.
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