Page 22 - West Virgina 2017 Issue 1

Pipeline Safety
ave you ever tlown in an terleral agency—Lhe u.s. Departnient of .=rom a plane several thousand teet
I I airplane? At this point in Transportation. in the air has to be more spectacular
history, if you are reading _ g _ than inspecting the pipeline from the
this, the odds are you W"°“ ‘°"L;f‘}““E ‘”f“‘.}‘“PP‘“‘ "’ ““ ground
Pmbably have M: YD“ mm M airplane, e pilot is literally always > I
7 _ 7 7 considered a possible cause. when A lot or the training ior pipelines is

tlying. ltso, why. ltnot, why not. The 1 b M I . I .1 h . . d i
Dvmmmmg malomy of People who afimet ring a iappens o a pipe ine, sinii ar to hi e training require o

fly mad‘ me“ mfinmon Sm” ‘“ ‘ml t Epldpellge operator is always people w o design, build: operate

one mum “gm ‘hat lmmpmmon consi ere a primary suspect. and maintain airplanes. SItuiTtIDna}l1

to and trom the airport is tar more one big ditterenee; when an airplane ‘““‘.'_“"““‘°l'” “‘ f"2“1“‘ :“f‘“$“ub““
dangerous than flying itself (no, I crashes, the pilot is ALWAYS the t’-irst to 11'‘ ‘:‘*,’,°' ““ fl’ “ 9’ ‘h°°d " ,,,‘;:Y
have not researched the “ °“ ’ ’““ ‘““ ‘ —"°“’ 9" “Pi
statistics) A remarkable fvT;§¥:‘§"J"AT§E
thing about airplanes is DONG, K. d ,
that today's airplanes are _ . ' “h.°‘”“ ‘
amazingly reliable. what ff” "SW" ‘““ ‘
happens when there is a “_ °““}‘1”"‘“:h"‘°‘*' ‘
problem while an airplane ' “ ‘““‘ "““ b“‘“
is in the air? Pilots are V L 4 ‘° be “ “'2 g‘°““fi
trained to deal with ‘ “"”“"‘5 —‘’°“ W“ '“

\ he air than in the air

problerns. some problems \ ea, , ‘ 1

v . L I ’ moi
Most are minor. some i “'2 g’°“““

require heroic action. There is no need to be
can you say "Miracle on .itr.iid of tlying and
the Hudson”? captain there is no need to be
sullenberger will tell you atraid of pipeline. But
he rloes not consider hirnselt a hero. the seene ot the crash: lknow e i am a both demanrl respect.

He was well trained and used his skills pilot and the pilot sits at the iront of the

to identify the best option Lives that airplane. That is not always true with UN" “°"“, ‘““° ’ “"9 “"““' "“d b‘ *"‘°
could have easily been lost were not pipeline operators. °“‘ ”‘°’‘‘’' '

because of the decisions sullenberger .

inarle and the nay he iinpieineated :°m§°m= umgjlf gvbmg I» 5°": 0;

Ihw detmor-~= I haven't mu the 51:; fgrgfffhaflfm :m /aliii rc'fm'd/ram PHMSA and IS rllrrmfly
movie “awn: Tom Hank» yetrbutl ’ k . ‘ ’ My’ d l/iceprreidmta/pipeliiie 5_I/§I('m Ccmxphr
undmtand it 1» fairly mlhuc X‘ffl“P“§D‘l" 3;? m';:: d:‘n““D”i°”'°" arire and apemtioiis St'l7/lccs far c2 Part
why are we talking about airplanes getting your lieense to leai-ri wears off, ""5 LLC 5”" /"’"‘ /""‘1’1“*‘82"5»“”"
when this is supposed to be about a lot of flying is (at least to rne) boring.

pipeline satetyi Think about the As boring as it may be, you still have to

siniilarities Both teohnologies started stay vigilant. Things can go .=roni boring

about the same time (the early 1900's). to terriiying quickly! The same holds

both airplanes and pipelines are true for operating a pipeline There may flflfl
extrernely reliable. when either one be sorne pipeline personnel who get a 5 s t 7 2 3 \ 4
has a iailure, it has the potential to thnll out of staring at a pipeline control T ? '§ 7 3 5*‘?
be catastrophic with both, there is monitor (a lot like an air traffic Control % 7

the potential that innoeent people monitor), but, at least tor me, that is g g
could be injured or killed. Airplanes not the same as flying an airplane 5 -3 5 9 3 2 7 3 ‘
are incredibly complex and so are npelines are in the ground Yes, they as § Hun
pipelines l-ilots and pipeline operators have to be patrolled at specinc intervals '5‘ 9 4 2 5 7 l 3
are typically very well trainerl. Both depenrling on the pipeline but it is not “ 2 7 3 t 4 1 9
are highly regulated by the same the same as taking off, navigating and an

finding a sate plaee to land. The view
20 . West Wglma 511 2017, Issue 1