On July 30, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued Safety Alert (SA-095), which emphasizes the need for the pipeline industry to implement Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS) to identify and address risks that lead to accidents, injuries and fatalities. AEGIS member companies with natural gas operations have been adopting PSMS since 2017. However, the NTSB reports that many small operators have not yet embraced PSMS. Despite the adoption of PSMS by operators representing over 85% of industry pipeline mileage, the NTSB finds "the pipeline industry continues to have accidents that could have been prevented or the consequences more effectively mitigated had risks been more thoroughly identified and addressed."
PSMS should be viewed as a continuous improvement cycle, not a linear path of compliance. The 'Plan, Do, Check, Act' process is perpetual. American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1173 (API RP1173) provides a framework for PSMS specifically designed for pipeline operators, including ten essential elements for the comprehensive and systematic management of safety-related activities across a complex operating organization.
AEGIS Loss Control's unique view of industry events and large losses provides insight for our member companies implementing PSMS. Our claims history shows an operator's ability to prevent or mitigate incidents is often strongly tied to the performance of their contractors. Today, contractors may perform 80-90% of construction and maintenance on an operator's system. Therefore, operators should consider involving their contractors in their PSMS from the beginning to increase their effectiveness.
AEGIS Loss Control Professionals are available to support our member companies regardless of where they are on their PSMS journey. Services we provide currently include:
Providing an overview of Pipeline Safety Management Systems to small operators that want to learn how to get started.
Supporting members with resources and information as they mature their safety management systems, and providing third-party feedback on various aspects of program implementation.
Integrating aspects of PSMS into our Gas Operator training programs.
For more information on how AEGIS Loss Control can support your organization, please reach out to Tony Tetto, Natural Gas Utility Technical Lead, or your assigned Senior Loss Control Professional.
About Quick Tips
We send Quick Tips to the managers and operational professionals on our e-mail list, but please feel free to forward this to others in your organization who you feel may benefit. We would be pleased to add their names to the distribution list. Just let us know at quicktips@aegislimited.com.