Safety Management Systems

API RP1173 Development Update to PHMSA Advisory Committees

August 2013

Pipeline safety stakeholders led by the American Petroleum Institute (API) are working to develop a comprehensive framework of recommended practices for pipeline safety and integrity procedures across the United States.  

Result: New API Recommended Practice 1173 – Pipeline Safety Management System specific to pipeline operators across the United States

Key components of RP 1173:

◦ How top management develops processes to reveal and mitigate safety threats

◦ Provide for continuous improvement

◦ Make compliance and risk reduction routine.

The Prize is Improved Safety

IndustryPerspectives The pipeline industry (both

natural gas and hazardous liquids) has previously considered Safety Management Systems to assure that adequate processes exist to protect the public, the environment, employees and contractors.

Many pipeline operators have highly evolved management systems but lack of industry guidance may cause gaps between operators and ranges of quality and comprehensiveness.

Pipeline incidents in 2010 and 2011 revealed management system weaknesses as contributing factors. The NTSB Marshall, MI incident report stated:

Evidence from this accident and from the San Bruno accident indicates that company oversight of pipeline control center management and operator performance was deficient.

The agency found that a Pipeline Safety Management System would improve performance through top management leadership.

Recent History

Implementation of SMSs in transportation systems by elevating SMSs to its Most Wanted List.

SMSs continuously identify, address, and monitor threats to the safety of company operations by doing the following:

Proactively address safety issues before they become incidents/accidents.

Document safety procedures and requiring strict adherence to the procedures by safety personnel.

Treat operator errors as system deficiencies and not as reasons to punish and intimidate operators.

Require senior company management to commit to operational safety.

Identify personnel responsible for safety initiatives and oversight.

Implement a nonpunitive method for employees to report safety hazards.

Continuously identify and address risks in all safety-critical aspects of operations.

Provide safety assurance by regularly evaluating (or auditing) operations to identify and address risks.

 

NTSB Recommendations

Ron McClain, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, Chair Mark Hereth, P-PIC, Content Editor Scott Collier, Buckeye Partners Tom Jensen , Explorer Pipeline Paul Eberth, Enbridge Pipelines Brianne Metzger-Doran, Spectra Energy Tracey Scott, Alliance Pipeline William Moody, Southwest Gas Nick Stavropoulos, Pacific Gas and Electric Steve Prue, Small Gas Distribution To Be Named, Public – Subject Matter Expert John Bresland, Public – Subject Matter Expert Stacey Gerard, Public – Subject Matter Expert Jeff Wiese, PHMSA Linda Daugherty, PHMSA (alternate) Edmund Baniak, API (Standards Support) Robert Miller, AZ Corporation Commission Massoud Tahamtani, VA State Corporation Commission Bob Beaton, NTSB (Ex Officio) Kate Miller, AGA Scott Currier, INGAA Peter Lidiak, API

Identified Participants to Develop an SMS Recommended Practice

Direct Participants

4 – Liquids Pipelines 4 – Natural Gas Pipelines1 – City Distribution3 – Trade Organizations3 – Regulators1 – NTSB3 – Public – SME’s1 – Contract Engineering1 – Standards Organization

* Plus alternates

Plan, Do, Check, ActThe core of the standard . . .

Continuous Improvement is the Goal of the standard . . .

Management Commitment and Leadership

Risk Management

Operational Controls

Incident Investigation, Evaluation and Lessons Learned

Safety Assurance and Continuous Improvement

Competence, Training, Qualification and Development

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Documentation and Record Keeping

Stakeholder Engagement

Essential Safety Management System Elements

Since continuous improvement implies that SMS is more of a journey than an event, there must be ways to measure progress.

Evolution might include:

Minimal Compliance – Lack of Management Involvement

Commitment to Compliance – Rules and Procedures

SMS in Place – Individuals seeking risk reduction

SMS Evolving – Teams Continuously Improving

Greatly Reduced Incident Rates and other Metrics

Maturity Models

Simple Maturity Models

The SMS Development Team Recognizes the need to ramp up external communications. Two subteams were identified to:

1. Develop an external communications plan for interested parties. John Stoody of AOPL will lead this team.

2. Directly engage external Subject Matter Experts (especially those who have developed other SMS Processes) for review and input. Brianne Metzger-Doran of Spectra Energy will lead this effort.

Other Important Developments

API intends to further develop RP 1173 by identifying and addressing safety issues in a pipeline’s lifecycle, including the design, construction, operation, maintenance, integrity management and abandonment of pipelines at the earliest stage to prevent conditions that may ultimately result in an incident.

API is confident it can create an SMS that enhances pipeline safety in a practical way while implementing guidelines for continuous improvement.

Once the stakeholder group develops draft pipeline SMS, the organization will hold a public comment period to seek input and feedback on the guidelines outlined in RP 1173. 

All comments will be addressed but not necessarily incorporated into the document as ANSI requires. After the comment period, API members will vote whether to accept or reject the document as a recommended practice applicable to all pipeline operators.

Conclusion

NTSB Report – Marshall, MI – July 10, 2012

API Workshop on Management Systems – October 4, 2012

Initial Meeting of SMS Development Team Members – December 18, 2012

Time to conclude: 18 months to allow for development, drafts for comments, final version, API Balloting

August 2013 4th Internal Draft RP 1173 Review

External Review and Comment Process TBD

Potential Publication – 2nd half of 2014

Timeline