These procedures were developed by the American Public Gas Association Security and Integrity Foundation (SIF) with funding provided by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). These were written by experts from the SIF, the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia (MGAG) and Austell (GA) Gas (Austell). Procedures were reviewed and approved by a panel of state and federal government pipeline safety regulators and natural gas industry experts. Each procedure provides step-by-step instructions for performing one or several related operator qualification covered tasks. With a few exceptions, these procedures use the task names found in the ASME B31Q standard for operator qualification.
Every attempt has been made to ensure that each procedure is consistent with good industry practices. Each procedure provides just one approach to accomplishing the covered task. There may be other equally valid approaches to these tasks. The method described in each procedure is consistent with the training and evaluations used by the SIF to qualify individuals in these covered tasks.
These procedures are a supplement to, not a substitute for, a written manual for operations, maintenance and emergency response (“O&M Manual”) as required by 49 CFR Part 192.605. These procedures describe how the task should be performed – the O&M manual must also describe when and where each task will be performed. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that all the elements required by state and federal pipeline safety regulations for an O&M manual are included in the user’s O&M manual. The user is also responsible to modify these procedures as necessary to address state and local requirements for any of these tasks. State and local requirements can be more stringent than federal regulations. <br>
Attempt has been made to provide advice to the user about potential worker safety issues and deviations from normal operations that may be encountered while performing these tasks; however the user is likely to encounter conditions in the field not anticipated in these procedures. The user should not assume that these procedures identify every safety hazard that might be encountered. The user should use his/her best judgment in dealing with field conditions.
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION (APGA), SIF, PHMSA, MGAG AND AUSTELL MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ABOUT THE ACCURACY, USEFULNESS, COMPLETENESS OR ADEQUACY OF THESE PROCEDURES, AND THEY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY, WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT, FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE ARISING OUT OF USE OF, REFERENCE TO, OR RELIANCE ON THESE PROCEDURES. THE USER OF THESE PROCEDURES AGREES TO DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS THE APGA, SIF, PHMSA, MGAG, AUSTELL AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS FROM AND AGAINST ALL CLAIMS AND EXPENSES, INCLUDING ATTORNEY'S FEES, ARISING FROM THE USER’S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, OR RELIANCE ON THESE PROCEDURES. THESE PROCEDURES ARE NOT INTENDED TO AND DO NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE, AND NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP IS FORMED BY THE USE OF, REFERENCE TO, OR RELIANCE ON THESE PROCEDURES.
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