Today, transport and distribution pipelines are the safest way to transport large quantities of hazardous products. But there is no such thing as zero risk. Indeed, risks are not always controlled. For example, the Ghislenghien accident in Belgium in 2004 and the accident at the Vaux-le-Pénil pipeline at the beginning of 2020 are sad examples of this.
These accidents generally have a heavy impact. They depend on the characteristics of the product passing through the pipeline. Liquids, gases or liquefied gases released into the environment cause damage to the environment that can lead to death or other collateral damage. This damage depends on the characteristics of the products transported according to their dangers: toxicity, harmfulness or flammability.
Industrialists must therefore define a safety and intervention plan for a transport pipeline in order to ensure the prevention and to ensure the prevention and control of risks.
Safety issues on hazardous materials transportation pipelines
Accidents on transmission pipelines are mainly caused by external damage to distribution pipelines. The cause is sometimes work carried out near the structures. Other causes are possible such as :
- A failing organ;
- Operational errors;
- Inadequate monitoring or control measures.
Work carried out in the vicinity of transport and distribution pipelines for hazardous products is very strictly regulated. To do so, it is necessary to comply with the requirements of articles L. 554-1 to L. 554-5 and articles R. 554-1 to R. 555-61 of the Environment Code and their implementing orders, in particular the order of February 15, 2012.
It is therefore mandatory to consult the one-stop shopto obtain the list of operators concerned by the planned work and to find out about the risks involved. This teleservice, set up in 2011, allows more exchanges concerning the works between the contracting authority, the project manager and each company and network operator.
Also read: Disaster management for hazardous materials pipelines
What is the safety and intervention plan for the transport pipeline?
The provisions of the Multifluid Order require the use of a safety and intervention plan (PSI) for any intervention on installations associated with a transport pipeline. To summarize, a PSI is an Internal Operation Plan (POI) for pipelines outside a closed site. It defines the measures implemented by the transporter in the event of a pipeline incident.
Gesip's expertise on hazardous product transport pipelines
Supporting industrialists in the face of industrial risks
Gesip, with its expertise and 70 years of experience, contributes to the improvement of industrial safety. To this end, the company has developed skills in terms of prevention of risks related to transport pipelines of dangerous products through its GS CANA training.
Gesip training for disaster management on hazardous materials transportation pipelines (GS CANA)
The training "Knowing how to integrate into a crisis management team of a carrier or operator of pipelines complies with article L6313-1 as an action to acquire, maintain or improve knowledge.
It is intended for industrial personnel with crisis management functions in a carrier or pipeline operator.
The training requirements are as follows:
- Implement the organization of a Security and Response Plan (SRP),
- Implement the organization of the Operating Command Post (OCP)
- Perfect the use of the tools of a Safety and Intervention Plan (SIP) and the Operator Command Post (OCP),
- To know how to react in case of an accident on pipelines for the transport of all types of products.