The Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT/PHMSA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) to revise the Federal pipeline safety regulations to address human factors and other components of control room management. The proposed rules would require operators of hazardous liquid pipelines, gas pipelines, and liquefied natural gas facilities to amend their existing written O&M; procedures, operator qualification (OQ) programs, and emergency plans to assure controllers and control room management practices and procedures used maintain pipeline safety and integrity. This proposed rule would add provisions to 49 CFR parts 192, 193, and 195. As part of the Prevention through People (PTP) program, this proposed rule addresses requirements applicable to controllers, key players among the people who can affect pipeline safety. The rule focuses on the enhancement areas identified by PHMSA in its earlier public meetings, including alarm management, controller qualifications, controller human factors, and management of change.

Written comments are due by November 12, 2008 and may be submitted to the E-Gov Web site at www.regulations.gov. Reference Docket No. PHMSA-2007-27954. PHMSA will consider late comments filed so far as practical.

For a copy of the proposed rule on Control Room Management, contact Jessica Roger.