Control Room Management Plans and Audit assistance
Pipeline Performance Group has developed 25 CRM plans, has evaluated and/or evaluating another 25 CRM plans, and is currently assisting with rewrites and improvements in those CRM plans we evaluated. In addition, we have assisted companies in their audit preparation, including participation in the actual audits. Several of these CRM plans have already successfully complied with a PHMSA inspection. As part of our workload assessment process, we have reviewed over 75 additional CRM plans.
Controller Workload Assessments
Pipeline Performance Group has performed over 350 workload assessments in over 80 control rooms since 2010 with industry benchmarks for workload and task percentages. We assess the content and volume of general activity being directed at the controllers. The final workload report includes specific recommendations regarding the current workload on the console, and whether controllers have sufficient time to analyze and react to incoming alarms. Our workload assessments are developed to satisfy PHMSA regulatory requirements 195.446(e)(5) and 192.631(e)(5) in pipeline, natural gas and refinery control rooms.
Compliance Assurance Solutions
Pipeline Performance Group consultants provide assistance with ongoing PHMSA Control Room Management (CRM) Plan compliance requirements throughout the year. Assistance may be provided both onsite and offsite via telephone and email to determine whether and help ensure that compliance records are completed. Services may include:
- Reminders of, and assistance with, ongoing compliance requirements
- Identification of any deficiencies and a plan to address them
- Assistance with the correction of deficiencies
- Review of deviations from the CRM Plan
- Ongoing instructions and coaching on improving the CRM Plan
- Lessons learned from CRM inspections when PHMSA publishes results
Alarm Management Assessment, Development and Facilitation
Alarm Management is the most crucial safety procedure that controllers perform during abnormal and emergency operations. Their timely and appropriate response to an alarm ensures the proper execution of Pipeline operations. Our human factors experts at Pipeline Performance Group conduct a formal audit of your alarm configurations and alarm response standard operating procedures. We work with you to clearly assess the alarms and define their functions with the correct response to those alarms. Additionally, we address the alarm descriptions, the frequency of their use and the impact on the controller during normal, abnormal, and emergency operations.
Control Room Management Plans & Audit Assistance
Human Factors & Organizational Improvement
Fatigue Risk Management
Training, Education & Procedures
*Current as of January 2023