In an effort to help protect workers, emergency responders, and communities surrounding

establishments in the agricultural retail and supply industry, a new alliance has been formed

between the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health

Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Fertilizer Safety and Health

Partners. This alliance will primarily focus on the safe storage and handling of fertilizers such as

anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate.

“Incidents such as the horrific explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas, that

killed 15 people including emergency response personnel, highlight the hazards in storing and

handling ammonium nitrate,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for

occupational safety and health. “These tragedies are preventable and this alliance shows that we

are working together to address hazards, prevent injuries and save lives.”

This alliance will emphasize sharing emergency response information among agricultural

business establishments, first responders, and surrounding community. The alliance will also aim

to improve safety at chemical facilities, reduce potential hazardous chemical risks, and educate

workers about hazardous chemicals. These changes will help bring the industry in line with

Executive Order 13650: Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security, which was signed by

President Obama after the West Fertilizer Company incident.

If you are in the agricultural retail and supply industry, it is important you understand what this

new alliance will mean for your company. This could impact how you do business, and will

bring heightened scrutiny from OSHA and other regulatory bodies to the agricultural industry. If

you have not recently reviewed your occupational safety and health procedures, or if you do not

understand how this new relationship impacts your company, it might be a good idea to contact a

qualified third party occupational safety and health auditing firm.

If you have any questions about how this new alliance impacts you, please contact us. If you

have anything else to add about the partnership, please leave a comment.