How is the pipeline industry doing when it comes to safety?
Pipeline operators are focusing on improving safety in a number of areas. For worker safety, injury frequency has decreased steadily between 2003 and 2015. And between 2011 and 2015, 99.999 per cent of liquids and natural gas were transported safely by CEPA members. While pipelines are the safest method of transportation, we want to be safer. Our goal is zero incidents, so we are working hard to get that number to 100 per cent.
Improving worker safety
By building a strong culture of safety in the pipeline industry, safety has steadily improved. Members’ leadership and training, site supervision, safe work sites and continuous improvement results in a very safe environment for the 14,000 people working directly for CEPA members.
Worker safety continues to improve.
CEPA Health and Safety statistics 2003-2015:
Working to decrease pipeline incidents
In 2015, a total of 16 barrels of liquid product spilled on CEPA members’ rights-of-way (equivalent to just over nine average-sized bathtubs that are completely filled). There were no significant liquids incidents and one significant natural gas incident. Pipeline safety continues to advance thanks to CEPA member programs aimed at ramping up pipeline inspections and leak detection, in conjunction with programs to advance the reliability, design and monitoring of pipelines, prevent damage to pipelines, and enhance emergency preparedness and response.
CEPA member pipeline integrity performance
Source: CEPA Composite Indicators
Notes
Failure Incident: Any unplanned release of product due to a failure of a pipe.
Significant Failure Incident: A failure incident that includes one or more of the following:
- Caused a serious injury or fatality
- Caused a liquid release of greater than 8 m3 (50 US barrels)
- Produced an unintentional ignition or fire
- Occurred as a rupture
Incident frequencies are expressed as the number of incidents per 1000-km-years of service.