OSHA standards moot in Quinton rig explosion because of exemption for oil-and-gas industry

The natural gas rig that exploded near Quinton and killed five workers is not covered by a comprehensive package of federal safety standards implemented in the early 1990s after several chemical industrial disasters.

Oil and natural gas drilling, servicing and production are exempt from OSHA’s “Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals” regulations. The PSM standard exists to prevent or minimize “the consequences of catastrophic releases of toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive chemicals.”

While industry standards do exist, a U.S. Chemical Safety Board report from 2014 noted that “serious incidents continue to occur,” suggesting that industry’s “voluntary guidance is insufficient.”

A 2013 executive order from President Barack Obama directed OSHA to evaluate whether to remove the oil and gas industry PSM exemption, among other regulatory reforms. The status of that effort under Donald Trump’s administration is unknown.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state/osha-standards-moot-in-quinton-rig-explosion-because-of-exemption/article_162d0efa-7860-5f4b-b982-ebdeb142c075.html