PHMSA Compliance

It’s time for many pipeline operators to consider implementing alarm management software to elevate the quality of their Alarm Management program. We have arrived at this conclusion after reviewing the 2021 PHMSA Enforcement Actions in the control room and the 2022 CRM findings through the first half of this year. In 2021, there were 37 …

2021 PHMSA CRM Enforcement Actions: Improve Alarm Management and Adequate Information Read More »

Pipeline operators whose assets are subject to federal oversight are required to comply with a series of highly-detailed regulations captured in the PHMSA Control Room Management Rule (49 CFR 192.631 for the transport of natural gas and 49 CFR Part 195.446 for the transport of hazardous liquids). Our focus at EnerSys Corporation is to maximize …

Control Room Lessons Learned from Pipeline Communication Gaps Read More »

As part of our team’s review of the 2020 PHMSA Enforcement Actions related to the pipeline control room, we identified three pipeline SCADA alarm management violations of the PHMSA Control Room Management Rule (CRM Rule). The violations were found in Section E (Alarm Management) and Section J (Compliance and Deviations) of the CRM Rule. The …

PHMSA Enforcement Actions: Optimize Processes and Recordkeeping to Support Alarm Management Read More »

PHMSA publicly reports enforcement actions across all areas of pipeline operations, including the pipeline control room. Our team recently dug into the 2020 PHMSA Enforcement Actions related to violations of 49 CFR 192.631 and 49 CFR 195.446 control room management. We found several infractions related to missing, inadequate, or incomplete Control Room Management Plans (CRMPs). …

PHMSA Enforcement Actions Review: It’s Time to Update Your CRMP Read More »

Earlier this year, we noted that PHMSA was planning to inspect each pipeline’s control room within the next three years. Now, during the global pandemic, PHMSA has actually increased their pace of audits through virtual inspections. The increased rate of inspections has created a greater need to ensure audit readiness. While many pipeline operators and …

PHMSA Increasing Pace of Virtual Inspections — Are You Prepared? Read More »