What is meant by the term “critical utilities” when used in context with process safety? I like to define the term as any utility that plays a safety role within the covered process. Probably the most common “critical utility” is the use of nitrogen within a flammable liquid process, where nitrogen is used for blanketing tanks, inerting flammable atmospheres, blowing lines, etc. But there are many others, some we may not even think of as a utility. But this article is about the level at which we should be managing these utilities and OSHA’s minimum expectations.