Pipeline Personnel Qualification
ASME B31Q Update
Presented by
Jerry Schmitz, P.E.
Southwest Gas Corporation
B31Q Technical Committee Chair
Historical Perspective
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1999: PHMSA published Operator Qualification (OQ) rule
2002: NTSB labeled Operator Qualification as
“unsatisfactory”
2003: PHMSA issued 13 areas they considered as gaps in
the rule
2003: Four public meetings held to address the 13 issues
2003: ASME B31Q Project Team formed to develop a
technically sound, holistic, consensus standard for the
qualification of pipeline personnel
2005: PHMSA amended OQ rule to address training, onthe-job performance and reporting significant plan
changes
2006: ASME published the first edition of B31Q
13 Implementation Issues
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Scope of OQ inspections
Evaluation of knowledge, skills and abilities
Re-evaluation intervals
Maintenance vs. New Construction
Treatment of Emergency Response
Missing covered tasks (excavation)
Extent of documentation
Generic vs. task specific Abnormal Operating Conditions
Treatment of Training
Criteria for small operators
Use of directing and observing
Noteworthy practices
Persons contributing to an accident
ASME B31Q
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American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
selected as entity to help develop and house
standard
ASME B31Q committee selected
– State and Federal Regulators
– Operators from all segments of the industry
– Contractor community
– Industry Associations
– Trade Associations
– Vendors
Started August 2003 and published 2006
ASME B31Q
Underlying Principles of
ASME B31Q
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Scope covers tasks that impact the
safety or integrity of the pipeline
Technically based
Prescriptive and Performance options
– Performance options should have higher
expectations on processes
– Limited number of simple processes for
each technical issue with freedom to
develop operator’s own methods
Underlying Principles of
ASME B31Q
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Clear – should be clear and concise
Durable – adequate for multiple cycles
Complete – answers all known
technical issues
Sound – technically sound foundation
Use existing rule where practical
Not a regulatory document
Major Aspects of ASME B31Q
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Based on holistic approach to address
OQ programs in full, not pieces
Addresses 12 of PHMSA’s 13
implementation issues
Fourteen chapters in B31Q
– Prescriptive language
– Performance language (equivalent options
for all major requirements)
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Eight Non-mandatory Appendices
– Integrated Task List
B31Q Standard Content
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Foreword
Introduction
Definitions
References
Qualification Program
Determining Covered
Tasks
Abnormal Operating
Conditions
Training
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Evaluation
Qualifications
Portability
Program Effectiveness
Communicating the
Qualification Program
and Managing Changes
Documentation
Requirements
Bibliography
Non Mandatory Appendices
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Appendix
Appendix
Task List
Appendix
Process
Appendix
5A – Integrated Task List
5B – Summary of Integrated
5C – Task List Development
5D – Evaluation Criteria
Non Mandatory Appendices
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Appendix 6A – Abnormal Operating
Conditions (AOCs)
Appendix 8A – Evaluation Method
Selection
Appendix 9A – DIF Analysis for
Subsequent Qualification Intervals
Appendix 11A – Program
Implementation
and Effectiveness Appraisals
ASME B31Q Benefits
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Standardized task list
Standardized requalification
frequencies
Identifies key qualification components
Allows for portability
Rationales are embedded in document
Accepted by PHMSA
Overview of B31Q Committee
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Part of B31 Committee
History
– B31Q Project Team
– B31Q Technical Committee
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Membership
– 32 voting member positions
– About 10 contributing members
Organization of Committee
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Chair
Vice-Chair
Secretary
Teams (Sub-Committees)
– Team 1: Technical Issues – Task Related
– Team 2: Technical issues – Non Task Related
– Team 3: Administrative
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Membership Diversity
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Hazardous Liquids
Gas Transmission
Gas Distribution
Small Operators
Industry/Trade Assoc.
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Federal Regulators
State Regulators
Contractors
Labor
Vendors
Key Issues Being Addressed
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Work-in-progress from 2006 Standard
Editorial refinement
New tasks
Other items
Work-in-Progress from
2006 Standard
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Portability
Jobs vs. Tasks
Qualification exemptions
New construction
Editorial Refinement
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Program effectiveness
AOC list items
Scope and forward revisions
Typographical corrections
New Covered Tasks
Under Consideration
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Purging
Pigging
Operations and maintenance of
auxiliary equipment
– Dehydrators
– Separators
– Heaters
– Coolers
Other Non Task Related
Items Under Consideration
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New technology
Long-term degradation of physical
abilities
Ways to Participate
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Comments to secretary
Work through members
Attend meetings
Upcoming meetings
– Nashville, October 20-21, 2009
– Albuquerque, March 2010
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Web site: www.asme.org
– Search on B31Q Committee
ANSI Process
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Technical Committee approval
B31 Committee approval
Public comments
Publication of approved revisions
Standards vs. Regulations
Keeping Things in Perspective
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International standards
No jurisdictional bounds
Regulators can adopt all or part of a
standard
PHMSA Perspective
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B31Q addresses the OQ noncompliance issues found to date.
PHMSA has publicly stated –” If you
meet ASME B31Q, you will meet the
regulation.”
Summary
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Value of current standard
More work to be done
Your participation is welcome
Using the standard now and in the
future
Questions