IPC Paper Abstracts

IS THE PUSH FOR MORE PRESCRIPTIVE REGULATION MAKING US LESS SAFE?

Authors: Mark Jean and Charlene Wright

Current pipeline regulations in North America have changed significantly over the past several decades and will continue to change as public and regulatory scrutiny intensifies and new industry standards are developed (i.e. API RP 1173). As regulators assess the approach to take, they are increasingly looking at what other regulators are doing in their respective jurisdictions, including those at federal, state and provincial levels. Despite historical commitments to conceptual models fostering cooperation between regulators and regulated entities, recent trends in the United States signify a departure from performance or outcome-based regulation toward a more prescriptive approach. Pipelines remain the safest method of transporting oil and natural gas. However, when pipeline incidents do occur, the consequences can be catastrophic and are often well publicized. Federal and state regulators are under increased pressure in the aftermath of high-profile incidents to assuage the concerns of legislators and the public at large. This paper generally compares various regulatory models and the relative benefits and drawbacks of each. A more in- depth review of regulatory changes in the United States is examined, to analyze the potential intended and unintended consequences of the move towards more prescriptive pipeline safety regulations.

 

SAFETY CULTURE ASSESSMENT AND CONTINUOUS MONITORING APPROACH

Authors: Mark Jean and Laura Zaleschuk

Safety culture is not a new concept, with origins dating back to 1986 and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The recognition of safety culture in organizations and its influence on incidents has been growing, with gaps in safety culture having been cited as a major contributory factor to recent failures in the oil and gas industry including the Piper Alpha event nearly a quarter of a century ago and was most recently identified as a causal factor in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Many different approaches have been developed to measure and assess organizational attitudes and behaviours, with the goal of improving safety culture. Traditional approaches for measurement have focused on:

  • Questionnaires or surveys.
  • Interviews.
  • Observations.
  • Focus groups.
  • Document analysis.

While these approaches have provided valuable information regarding safety culture, more progressive approaches are being considered by leading companies. The establishment of Safety Culture Indicators and Continuous Monitoring as a method for improving safety culture is becoming more prevalent. This new approach enables companies to leverage the management systems that already are in place for managing their increasingly complex operating environments. Regulators have recognized this too and are beginning to recommend that continuous monitoring be included in a company’s toolbox as an additional approach to assessing internal safety culture. This paper describes a comprehensive safety culture maturity model created to provide organizations with a method to review their management system and assess their existing safety culture. The assessment aids the development of a suite of organization-specific indicators to facilitate application of a continuous monitoring approach for ongoing improvement of safety culture.

 

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM COMPETENCY MODEL AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Authors: Mark Jean, Laura Zaleschuk and Lynn Sikorski

The pipeline industry continues to look for ways to improve its compliance and performance. Management systems have increased prevalence in the pipeline industry, with recognition that carefully designed and well-implemented management systems are the fundamental method that should be used to keep people safe, protect the environment and align organizational activities. Experience has shown significantly better success rates with management system implementation, both in terms of the quality and speed, when the person responsible for the design, implementation and sustainment of the management system has an integrated set of technical and enabling competencies. However, there is currently no standardized competency model that can be used to support a Management Systems Professional’s specialized knowledge and skills. The paper outlines the competencies needed by individuals to be effective in the design, implementation, measurement and evaluation of management systems. Applying a ‘whole-person’ perspective, the model includes business, relational and technical competencies that contribute to performance excellence for management system practitioners, including outlining example behaviours at target level performance and proficiency, and supported by a defined body of knowledge. This paper describes the Management System Competency Model, including how it can be used to create a position-specific development program for application within various organizations. This research establishes a basis for the creation of a practical, systematic and easy to use development road map for individuals and organizations who use or leverage a management system.