New Executive Order Addresses Chemical Safety

Chemical Safety Sign
at ComplianceSigns.com

The White House has issued an Executive Order intended to reduce safety and security risks related to production and storage of potentially harmful chemicals. Prompted by the fatal West, Texas explosion, the Improving Chemical Safety and Security Order establishes a working group to address the issue.

The Chemical Facility Safety and Security Working Group will be co-chaired by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretary of Labor or their designated representatives.

The group is ordered to:

• Enhance Information Collection and Sharing
• Improve Operational Coordination with State, Local, and Tribal Partners
• Enhance Federal Coordination
• Enhance Information Collection and Sharing
• Modernize Policies, Regulations and Standards
• Identify Best Practices

Policy, Regulation and Standards efforts will:

• Develop options for improved chemical facility safety and security that identify improvements to existing risk management practices through agency programs,
• Engage key stakeholders to discuss the options and other means to improve chemical risk management that may be available
• Develop a plan for implementing practical and effective improvements to chemical risk management

The Group will convene stakeholders including chemical producers, chemical storage companies, agricultural supply companies, State and local regulators, chemical critical infrastructure owners and operators, first responders, labor organizations representing affected workers, environmental and community groups and consensus standards organizations.

• Read a fact sheet on the order here.
• Read the full order here.
• Browse Chemical Safety signs and labels here.