Quick Facts:
- Incorrect actions by company or contractor personnel (sometimes referred to as “Human Error,” “Operating Error” or “Incorrect Operation”) can either directly or indirectly result in a pipeline failure, with a corresponding release of hazardous liquid or natural gas. Pipeline failures and releases either caused by or aggravated by human error have on occasion resulted in injuries and fatalities of pipeline workers and the public.
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations of these types of pipeline accidents have resulted in recommendations for the formal qualification of personnel performing certain safety-related tasks on pipelines. These NTSB recommendations were addressed by OPS with the publication of the Operator Qualification Rule (August 27, 1999). This rule requires that pipeline operators establish formal Qualification Programs, with the subsequent qualification of all personnel performing the identified safety-related tasks by October 28, 2002.
What is required for Operator Qualification (or OQ) Programs?
- Pipeline operators are required to ensure through a formal “qualification” process that all personnel who perform certain safety-related tasks on the pipeline (known as “covered tasks”) have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to correctly perform the tasks, and that they can recognize and react properly to abnormal operating conditions.
- In addition to the operator’s own employees, this requirement also applies to contract personnel that perform “covered tasks”.
- This regulation includes how to identify which work activities are to be considered “covered tasks”; what must be included in worker evaluations; how to treat suspension and re-qualification of individuals if needed; how to deal with changes in equipment, procedures, or other items affecting a “covered task”; and what records must be kept by an operator.
Which operators are required to have OQ Programs?
- Anyone considered an “operator” under OPS’s regulations must have an OQ Program.
- This includes both large and small hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission companies, as well as natural gas distribution companies; municipalities with natural gas systems; refineries, chemical plants, and power plants with jurisdictional pipeline facilities; liquid propane supply systems; and other entities covered under OPS’s regulations.
How does OPS ensure compliance?
- A detailed set of inspection protocols has been developed for use by both Federal and State inspectors. All government inspectors are required to be trained and tested on both the inspection protocols and the inspection process.
- OQ inspections are conducted on all operators, covering both their written OQ Program as well as the Program’s implementation in the field.
- All inspection results are reported to a centralized database and monitored for consistency.
- The inspection process is on track to meet the Congressional requirements that all operators be inspected by December 2005.
Will there be future changes to Operator Qualification requirements?
- Public meetings between regulators and the pipeline industry in 2003 identified potential improvement areas within the current OQ regulations.
- The public meetings led to the need for a national consensus standard on operator qualification, known as B31Q. This standard will be developed under the sponsorship of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
- This ASME standard is planned to be completed in 2005, and will further clarify the existing OQ requirements. These clarifications will then be considered for adoption into OPS’s regulations as appropriate.
Operator Qualification: Where can I learn more?
- Information on OQ inspection protocols, public meetings, FAQs, and definitions is available at http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/oq.
- Inspection forms for OQ are available at http://ops.dot.gov/library/forms/forms.htm
- Pipeline operators are required to ensure through a formal “qualification” process that all personnel who perform certain safety-related tasks on the pipeline (known as “covered tasks”) have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to correctly perform the tasks, and that they can recognize and react properly to abnormal operating conditions.
- In addition to the operator’s own employees, this requirement also applies to contract personnel that perform “covered tasks”.
- This regulation includes how to identify which work activities are to be considered “covered tasks”; what must be included in worker evaluations; how to treat suspension and re-qualification of individuals if needed; how to deal with changes in equipment, procedures, or other items affecting a “covered task”; and what records must be kept by an operator.
Which operators are required to have OQ Programs?
- Anyone considered an “operator” under OPS’s regulations must have an OQ Program.
- This includes both large and small hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission companies, as well as natural gas distribution companies; municipalities with natural gas systems; refineries, chemical plants, and power plants with jurisdictional pipeline facilities; liquid propane supply systems; and other entities covered under OPS’s regulations.
How does OPS ensure compliance?
- A detailed set of inspection protocols has been developed for use by both Federal and State inspectors. All government inspectors are required to be trained and tested on both the inspection protocols and the inspection process.
- OQ inspections are conducted on all operators, covering both their written OQ Program as well as the Program’s implementation in the field.
- All inspection results are reported to a centralized database and monitored for consistency.
- The inspection process is on track to meet the Congressional requirements that all operators be inspected by December 2005.
Will there be future changes to Operator Qualification requirements?
- Public meetings between regulators and the pipeline industry in 2003 identified potential improvement areas within the current OQ regulations.
- The public meetings led to the need for a national consensus standard on operator qualification, known as B31Q. This standard will be developed under the sponsorship of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
- This ASME standard is planned to be completed in 2005, and will further clarify the existing OQ requirements. These clarifications will then be considered for adoption into OPS’s regulations as appropriate.
Operator Qualification: Where can I learn more?
- Information on OQ inspection protocols, public meetings, FAQs, and definitions is available at http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/oq.
- Inspection forms for OQ are available at http://ops.dot.gov/library/forms/forms.htm
Date of Revision: 112404