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OSHA does not believe that retail facilities or normally unoccupied remote facilities present the same degree of hazard to employees as workplaces that would require a comprehensive hazard analysis and management system.
The following operations and facilities are excluded from the PSM standard:
Retail operations
Certainly, highly hazardous chemicals may be present in this type of work operation. However, regarding retail facilities, chemicals are in smaller volume packages, containers, and allotments, making a massive release unlikely. Conditions of high pressure, excessive heat, or mixing of significant quantities of chemicals are considered unlikely.
Unoccupied remote facilities
In normally unoccupied remote facilities, the likelihood of an uncontrolled release injuring or killing employees is effectively reduced by isolating the process from employees. OSHA believes that the present standards, such as those contained in 1910.106, Flammable and Combustible Liquids, and in Part 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances, adequately address the chemical hazards presented in these work operations.
Oil and gas well drilling operations
OSHA also excluded oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations from the standard because OSHA has already undertaken rule-making with regard to these activities and believes these operations should be covered in a standard designed to address their uniqueness.
Storage of fuels
Facilities that handle or store hydrocarbon fuels, such as gasoline, heating oil, or liquid propane, solely for onsite consumption, are excluded from the rule because the quantities present would be almost universally below 10,000 pounds. Furthermore, in situations where the quantity exceeded 5 tons, inventory reduction would allow the site to reduce the potential for hazards to a low enough level that the standard would not apply.