Research Paper Example About Pipelines: Conclusions And Recommendations

Major Findings

In addition, both management and workers were not appropriately aware of control measures that were supposedly designed for implementation by Company XYZ to prevent any accidents regarding pipelines. From the perception of managers, there were supposedly engineering, administrative, and managerial controls that should have been set in place. Yet, no control measures were ever communicated, documented, nor duly understood by the workers. Finally, although there was apparent visual inspection undertaken by supervisors or managers upon reports made by the workers, no documentation, nor concrete action to address the suspicion had apparently been reported to be undertaken so far.

Overall, the responses to the research questions are as follows:

What are the regulations and standards associated with pipelines?

What are the procedures that are associated with the inspection of pipelines containing flammable material?

The procedures for the inspection of pipelines containing flammable materials are stipulated by the following agencies, to wit: the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC), the PHMSA regulation published in KellerOnline, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (2002). The detailed scope of the inspection standards and guidelines set by these regulatory agencies confirm the presence of these procedures for compliance of organizations like Company XYZ.

What is the level of employees’ awareness of the relevant standards in Company XYZ?

The level of employees’ awareness of the relevant standards in Company XYZ is relatively poor.

What is the understanding level that the management in the Company XYZ has toward appropriate safety inspection procedures associated with pipelines?

The level of understanding that the management in Company XYZ has toward appropriate safety inspection procedures associated with pipelines is also relatively poor.

Recommendations

After analyzing the results, the following recommendations are proposed to address the identified weaknesses:

Job Hazard Analysis. Consistent with the recommendations of OSHA to prevent accidents in work areas where pipelines are installed, the following actions are proposed:

Company XYZ should conduct a job hazard analysis (JHA) to specifically identify and classify risk areas.

Results from the JHA would reveal high risk areas and propose control measures which are applicable to pipelines.

Strategies are to be developed to prevent ignition, explosion, or fire-related incidents in pipelines which could potentially occur (OSHA, 2012).

Safety Standards pertaining to Pipelines. Company XYZ should explicitly develop and incorporate safety standards relative to pipelines, including inspection, maintenance, and documentation of incidents.

Based on best practices, employees who are directly involved in the repair, maintenance, or support of responsibilities where pipelines are installed, should participate in the development of safety standards pertinent to pipelines.

The standards proposed by various regulatory agencies must be reviewed, evaluated, and incorporated in Company XYZ’s safety policies and procedures.

These safety standards pertaining to pipelines are to be documented, affirmed, and communicated to all employees of Company XYZ.

The standards are to be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that updates from regulatory agencies, such as OSHA, American Petroleum Institute, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the ISO standard (ISO 15589-2:2012), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), are duly incorporated.

Control Measures. The proposed control measures which have been reported from the JHA, as well as those recommended by regulatory agencies need to be explicitly designed, communicated, and implemented.

Engineering controls should be developed and implemented, specifically, the proposed standard for using electrical tools in areas where pipelines are installed. Accordingly, under the standard number 1926.403(a) provided by OSHA for electrical tools, in order to prevent fires and explosions in the pipeline areas, electrical tools and equipment should be appropriately approved by OSHA to determine their safety and conformity to standards (OSHA, 2005).

Follow and adhere to proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), to wit: “eye and hearing protection, safety boots, gloves and hard hats should always be worn on pipeline job sites”, must be observed to be used as needed. One of the most recommended PPEs by OSHA for workers exposed in flash-fire hazards is the flame resistant clothing (FRC) which would insulate workers from burns, smoke, or thermal radiation (O

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