New report follows up on safe maintenance of natural gas systems
Furthering its focus on safe operations, the American Gas Association has published Skills and Experience for Effectively Designing Natural Gas Systems.
The report contains guidance for members on how to develop, maintain and enhance the skills and knowledge necessary to safely perform engineering work on a natural gas system and effectively communicate the changes necessary to maintain and enhance the system over time.
“A professional engineer’s license by itself is not a substitute for industry-specific experience and firsthand knowledge needed to understand natural gas systems and make decisions related to public safety in this field,” the report stated.
This report comes on the heels of AGA’s report released last November, Leading Practices to Reduce the Possibility of a Natural Gas Over-Pressurization Event, a compilation from members on issues related to over-pressurization.
“Safety is the top priority for America’s natural gas utilities, and we do not wait for legislative or regulatory mandates to take action to enhance the safety of the 2.5 million miles of pipelines that deliver essential energy throughout the country,” said AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert. “Our industry employs a highly skilled workforce that is committed to protecting our customers and the communities that we serve. This guidance identifies leading practices for the knowledge and experience necessary to design pipeline systems.”
AGA began compiling information about equipment, procedures, training and oversight this past fall.
The latest report details a tiered approach to developing a foundational understanding of natural gas systems, improving knowledge about operator-specific processes and procedures, and building technical knowledge.
It stresses the importance of implementing management of change processes—a leading practice for evaluating and mitigating the risk of significant changes to a pipeline system.
The report also highlights the importance of pipeline safety management systems, which is a holistic approach to enhancing pipeline safety by promoting safety awareness, vigilance and cooperation companywide.