Our members understand that in order to reach our goal of zero incidents, there needs to be a true commitment to collaboration. Only by working together can we ensure that our actions lead to measurable improvement.
Six steps to ensure steady progress:
This process is repeated and refined for each priority, providing a collaborative and structured approach to industry-wide continuous improvement.
Canadians have voiced their concerns about safety and the environment, which is why we have prioritized those areas in the program. Currently, we are focused on the following:
In 2012, CEPA did an in-depth analysis of 35 transmission pipeline incidents dating back to 2000, as reported by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the National Transportation Safety Board in the U.S. The report provided valuable information about the root causes of pipeline incidents, and highlighted three areas that contribute to the severity of transmission pipeline incidents – detection and isolation of the failure (control room procedures), emergency response and public awareness.
CEPA members are tackling all three root causes through Integrity First – with control room management going through the Integrity First process in 2015 and 2016.
Control rooms are the ‘eyes and ears’ of every organization. They operate 24/7, 365 days per year. The personnel work in secured areas, are highly trained and directly involved in the day to day operations. They are able to monitor flows, pressure and many other features specific to the operations of a pipeline. Control rooms are essential to keep the pipeline running safely.
In 2014, experts from CEPA member companies worked together with subject matter experts to develop a strategic plan to improve control room procedures. The plan identified what the four key focus areas are for control room management – competencies, alarm management, fatigue management and information management – and outlined them in a guidance document.
All 12 member companies used the guidance document to assess their control room systems, processes and procedures around these focus areas.
The results of the self-assessment were analyzed by CEPA to determine areas of improvement and opportunities to share leading practices among member companies.
Members shared their action plans with other members, enabling each to advance their own control room management practices, so controllers have the right information to make timely and informed decisions.
Member companies will continue to improve on their own, but also alongside member companies working with control room experts who are part of the control room management knowledge network (CRMKN) to share leading practices and advance control room performance.
This process is followed for each Integrity First priority, providing a collaborative approach to continuous improvement to the highest level.