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The control room is a crucial component of midstream oil and gas operations. It’s the metaphorical eyes and ears of the entire pipeline system, monitoring the real-time status of factors that contribute to a pipeline's functioning, including the flow rate, operational status, pressure and temperature of oil and gas products, combustible vapors, condensates and other potentially hazardous substances. When anomalies occur, the control room is the first to know, and operators must respond immediately with proper emergency mitigation strategies to prevent catastrophes. 

Adhering to safety and compliance regulations is one of the most important priorities in this room - and arguably one of the most challenging to achieve. The control room is a heavily regulated and complex environment. However, operators can ensure accurate adherence to safety regulations by enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of shift handovers. This article will explore some of the digital tools used to achieve safer processes while enhancing operational efficiencies.  

Challenges in Pipeline Control Management: Achieving Safety and Regulatory Compliance  

Errors made in the control room can contribute to and significantly exacerbate emergency situations, putting workers and communities surrounding existing pipelines at risk. As a result, pipeline companies must adhere to stringent regulations that ensure that every process is executed correctly and safely. These regulations – which are extremely detailed and must be followed precisely – are outlined by the United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA.) The control room management regulations are found on the National Archives website.   

PHMSA's inspection guidance covers various aspects of control room operations, safety procedures and compliance requirements for pipeline operators. It also highlights the need for a written alarm management plan and alarm system performance monitoring to provide an effective response to alarms. The alarm management plan must be reviewed and updated at least once a year.

Regulatory compliance is complex, but it’s imperative that control room operators adhere to these regulations. Operators can better ensure compliance by leveraging digital solutions that enhance alarm monitoring and shift handover processes, as discussed below. 

Hexagon’s j5 Shift Operations Management Solution Improves Shift Handover Procedures and Ensures Compliance  

The shift handover process is critical to safe pipeline operations, but it also creates room for inaccuracies. Relaying incorrect or misleading information during a handover can prove costly, both in terms of financial risk and safety hazards. Moreover, the prevalent use of paper-based documentation systems introduces a broader risk for miscommunications and simple human error.  

These issues can be mitigated by introducing a digital shift handover solution to pipeline management processes.  

Hexagon’s j5 Shift Operations Management solution is an example of a digital solution that enables control room operators to achieve consistent, safe and fully informed shift handovers.  

PHMSA requires operators to establish a method of recording controller shift changes and handover to ensure prompt and appropriate response to operating conditions. By serving as a centralized data repository, Hexagon’s j5 Shift Handover makes crucial information available to all relevant stakeholders, improves communication, standardizes reporting and reduces the risk of hazardous incidents.  

With j5 Standing Orders, operators can continue to ensure PHMSA compliance by communicating, distributing and tracking instructions on a single digital platform. j5 Standing Orders creates an audit trail of who has received and acknowledged instructions, providing a heightened level of accountability and visibility into compliance reporting. And utilizing j5 Shift Operations Management Solutions, facilities can document and manage the execution of safety-critical industrial processes. Control room operators are mandated by section 5 of API 1168 to establish procedures for when a different controller assumes responsibility, which includes the information that needs to be exchanged.