This recommended practice outlines a process that an operator of a pipeline system can use to assess risks and make decisions about risks in order to reduce incidents and the adverse effects of errors and incidents.
An integrity management program provides a means to improve the safety of pipeline systems and to allocate operator resources effectively to: identify and analyze actual and potential precursor events that can result in incidents, examine the likelihood and potential severity of incidents, provide a comprehensive and integrated means for examining and comparing the spectrum of risks and risk reduction activities available, provide a structured, easily communicated means for selecting and implementing risk reduction activities, and, establish and track system performance with the goal of improving that performance.
This RP is specifically designed to provide the operator with a description of industry-proven practices in pipeline integrity management.
The RP is largely targeted to onshore pipelines along the right-of-way, but the process and approach can be applied to pipeline facilities, including pipeline stations, terminals, and delivery facilities associated with pipeline systems.
Certain sections of this RP provide guidance specific to pipeline stations, terminals, and delivery facilities.