On March 25, 2008, the State of New Jersey adopted rules requiring facilities regulated under the Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act (TCPA) Program, which is PSM/RMP to those of us outside of the state of New Jersey, to perform Inherently Safer Technology (IST) reviews. Both OSHA and Federal EPA have tried to incorporate the IST model into their PSM and RMP standards with no luck. In the process safety arena, we can find those who believe IST is the heart and soul of process safety and we can find those that believe it is a waste of time and is government overreach. I will let you come to your own conclusions after I explain what an IST Review is.
As a note of reference, be sure to read “Inherently Safer Chemical Processes: A Life Cycle Approach,” 2ndEdition, 2008, Center for Chemical Process Safety(CCPS) if this post intrigues you.