The Legislature finds and declares that because of the potentially hazardous nature of handling large quantities of chemicals and recent disasters involving chemical handling in other states, a greater state effort is required to assure worker safety. The Legislature also recognizes that a key element for assuring workplace safety is adequate employee training. The potential consequences of explosions, fires, and releases of dangerous chemicals may be catastrophic; thus immediate and comprehensive government action must be taken to ensure that workers in petroleum refineries, chemical plants, and other related facilities are thoroughly trained and that adequate process safety management practices are implemented.

(Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1632, Sec. 1.)