AbstractProcess safety management (PSM) deals with the identification, understanding, and control of process hazards to prevent process‐related injuries and incidents. Explicit incorporation of the principles of inherent safety in the basic definition and functional operation of the various PSM elements can help to improve the quality of the safety management effort.Numerous inherent safety examples, both technical and nontechnical, are given in this paper. Existing qualitative and quantitative tools that already include, or could incorporate, inherent safety are described. Recently developed inherent safety tools for quantitative hazard identification and assessment are identified from either the literature or the current authors' work. Qualitative protocols for incorporating inherent safety into PSM elements are also presented. The language of inherent safety, although largely unused in PSM documentation, has a key role to play in enhancing the effectiveness of PSM. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 2007