On December 9, 2011, the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) hosted a “Pipeline Emergency Response Forum” in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the meeting was to develop strategies for improving emergency responders’ ability to prepare for and respond   Read More

Upon arrival at a pipeline emergency there may be multiple priorities depending on the nature of the event. It is critical, however, to establish control over the scene as the first step in the response process. Establishing control at the scene of a pipeline emergency may require different actions than that required for response to a more frequent emergency, such as a structure fire. Given that a pipeline is linear by nature, the site control process may indeed look different.   Read More

Pipelines by their very nature operate out of sight, and in many cases out of mind to the general public. As a transportation mode, they are far less conspicuous than major interstates or even railroads. Due to the fact that they operate silently underground, pipelines must be marked to identify their presence and to protect them from excavation   Read More

So how do you find a natural gas or hazardous liquids pipeline that was buried underground some time ago without disturbing the soil and ensure you are accurate enough that excavation or construction activity can occur safely? Line locating is a task performed by trained and skilled pipeline operations professionals many times a day. While arguably an art as much as it is a science, pipeline locating is accomplished using electronic devices that employ a transmitter and receiver working together allowing the technician to narrow down the    Read More

“We regularly forward the information provided by Kinder Morgan to our responders and hold at least 2 drills a year varying form table top to full scale." Anderson County Fire Department, Anderson, SC   Read More

Did you Know….
811 is the nationally recognized number to provide notification of pending excavation activity so that utilities can properly locate underground assets. And it’s Free! Help us spread the word for safety…Call 811 before you dig!

FYI….
The 2012 version of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) will be published during the first quarter of this year. The ERG is provided free of charge to emergency response agencies, and is intended to be used in the initial stages of a hazardous materials incident. The ERG also contains pipeline safety and emergency response information. For more information on the ERG, go to: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/library/erg

Note

Find out who operates a pipeline in your area by accessing the National Pipeline Mapping System at http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/