June 2025, Vol. 252, No. 6
Government
PHMSA Urges Broader Adoption of Pipeline Safety Management Systems
By Stephen Barlas, Contributing Editor, Washington, D.C.
(P&GJ) — Perhaps in an effort to convince Congress to lay off, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) just issued an advisory bulletin to promote the implementation of pipeline safety management systems (PSMS) by regulated pipeline owners and operators.
During hearings in February in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee — aimed at developing the contents of a new pipeline safety bill — Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, said widespread adoption of pipeline safety management systems still eludes the pipeline industry.
“Congress could make a meaningful difference in pipeline safety, by directing PHMSA to take steps toward widespread industry adoption,” he added.
One month later, PHMSA published its advisory bulletin that said in part, “PHMSA encourages pipeline operators to develop and to implement PSMS programs using a framework, such as the one detailed in American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1173.”
In announcing the initiative, PHMSA Acting-Administrator Ben Kochman said, “Safety Management Systems bring about a much-needed evolution of internal pipeline safety management structures, policies and procedures that will ultimately lead us to achieve our goal of zero incidents. We encourage all regulated pipeline owners and operators to fully embrace the continuous improvement and enhanced safety benefits that come with implementing a pipeline SMS.”
The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) welcomed the PHMSA advisory bulletin. Amy Andryszak, president & CEO of the INGAA, said since the publication of RP1173, INGAA and the INGAA Foundation have promoted the implementation of PSMS through annual workshops and the sharing of leading practices among members.
“Our members acknowledge that improving safety performance is both essential and an ongoing journey, and we appreciate the support of Secretary Duffy and Acting Administrator Kochman in advancing safety management systems,” she said.
Duffy is Sean Duffy, secretary of the Department of Transportation, the parent department for the PHMSA.
In July 2024, the Pipeline Safety Management Systems (Pipeline SMS) Industry Team published its latest annual report, for year 2023, which said for the third year in a row that nearly 85% of transmission and gathering mileage participated in voluntary pipeline SMS implementation. That team is made up of members of U.S. and Canadian oil and gas pipeline trade associations. That report did not report on the extent of the systems put in place, in terms of format and internal enforcement.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an alert in July 2024 that said “[a]lthough PSMS have been adopted by operators, representing 85 percent of industry pipeline mileage, many operators, particularly smaller operators, have not yet adopted PSMS.”
More than one-half of the smallest category of operators reported that their PSMS efforts best fit the “stalled” characterization. The NTSB added that despite the 85% adoption number, the pipeline industry “continues to have accidents that could have been prevented or the consequences more effectively mitigated, had risks been more thoroughly identified and addressed.”
Safety management system adoption by pipelines picked up speed after tragic pipeline accidents more than 15 years ago. Those accidents led to the National Transportation Safety Board issuing a recommendation that pipelines adopt SMS, which led to the American Petroleum Institute issuing API RR 1173 in July 2015.
In January 2024, NTSB issued Safety Recommendation P-24-002 to PHMSA in response to a pipeline release that occurred on Oct. 1, 2021, in San Pedro Bay in California. In that safety recommendation, NTSB advised PHMSA to issue “an advisory bulletin to all Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration-regulated pipeline owners and operators promoting the benefits of pipeline safety management systems and asking them to develop and implement such a system based on American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1173.”
The NTSB stated that “the implementation of a robust PSMS program would have helped [the operator of the ruptured pipeline] …comply with regulations, ensure employees were following company procedures and better prepare personnel to respond and react to the conditions found during this release.”
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