Designing a Pipeline Asset Management System Using a Continual Improvement Life Cycle Approach ñ Applying Standards, Practices & Guidelines to Prevent Process Safety Incidents

Assurance of safe and reliable operation of pipelines for hazardous materials can be achieved by implementing an asset management system based upon industry standards, practices and guidelines.  A well-designed asset management system includes provisions for continual improvement of the life cycles of the management system itself (design/development, implementation, auditing), the pipeline assets (design, construction, commissioning/start-up, operation, maintenance), and the control of risks to people, the environment, assets and delivery of products (before, during, and after incidents).

To minimize the risks of pipeline incidents and to maximize the performance of the pipeline assets, continual improvement must be sustained by managing the quality of resources and activities throughout each life cycle.  Specifically, management processes are necessary to assure the competence of people, the availability of reliable information, and the integrity of pipeline assets, as well as to assure the control of work activities.

Based on proven quality management principles, this paper will present a plan-do-check-act life cycle approach to designing a risk-based asset management system aimed at preventing and mitigating process safety pipeline incidents.  This paper will show how principles from available international standards, industry recommended practices, and technical society guidelines can be incorporated into the design of the asset management system.

This paper will present core processes for: (1) managing process safety to prevent the occurrence of incidents, (2) managing emergencies to prevent the escalation of incidents, and (3) managing investigations to prevent the recurrence of incidents.  These processes will address risk assessment and control, pipeline integrity management, human factors, root cause analysis, and management of change.  This paper will also show how supporting management processes are integrated into the asset management system to sustain its effectiveness: leadership and management commitment, resource planning and organization, communications, document and records control, performance monitoring and evaluation, and corrective and preventive actions.