On September 12, 2008, the Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT/PHMSA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) to revise the Federal pipeline safety regulations to address human factors and other components of control room management. (See related article in the October edition of the DOT Compliance News.) Public comments to the proposed rulemaking and the Advisory Committee Meeting transcripts have been posted to the PHMSA Website.

If you plan on attending the API Pipeline Conference on April 21-22 in Ft. Worth, Texas, you will probably want to attend the breakout session on “Control Room Management – NPRM Status and Implications for Operators” on Tuesday, April 21. This presentation will focus on the impacts on pipeline company control centers and general operations that are likely to arise as a result of PHMSA’s Control Room Regulations. Particular focus will be placed on the potential impacts to the Control Room and general operations staffing levels, the potential incremental expense generated by compliance with the regulations, and new procedures and documentation that will be necessary as part of the compliance regimen.

Control Room Management

If you are interested in participating in a joint effort with several other companies in the development of a control room management plan, contact Jessica Roger.