Pipeline Safety Management System

Program Gap Analysis and Audit

Our ENTRUST team utilizes federal and state requirements to perform a gap analysis for organizations and pipeline systems, including transmission integrity management, distribution integrity management, storage integrity management, control room management, pipeline safety management systems, public awareness programs, and damage prevention. Our experts also have extensive industry knowledge and operations experience to provide recommendations for operators to implement to continuously improve their pipeline safety programs and correct operational and safety issues.

Jurisdictional Audit Support

ENTRUST Solutions Group provides jurisdictional audit support for intrastate (State) and interstate (PHMSA) operators. Our staff is well prepared to provide support for pipeline safety audits for any part of the code, but particularly for key subparts such as TIMP, DIMP, and SIMP. Included in this service is a review of processes and procedures to ensure they meet code requirements, a review of records and evidence to support compliance, or to review specific documentation or evidence as necessary. We can assist in preparing responses to audit questions and/or protocols. Other preparation services may include bulleted talking points, presentations to use during the audit, or conducting a mock audit. In addition to preparation, we can be present or provide on-call support during an audit.

Strategic Improvement Plans

Strategic improvement plans are a valuable tool and service ENTRUST Solutions Group provides to help operators take a more global view of their system, which allows our experts to evaluate them holistically. This approach reflects what is expected when implementing a safety management system. ENTRUST’s team has a broad range of experience to identify gaps, process inefficiencies, or when a more tailored approach or timeframe could result in operational efficiencies, reduction in risk and cost savings.

Training

ENTRUST Solutions Group experts have offered training as a service for many years. We are available to help train your engineers and design staff on your internal engineering or design standards. This supports competence, awareness, and training requirements within the PSMS, and ensures consistency across your organization. Training can be tailored to your organization’s needs, whether conducted annually or on some other frequency. We focus the content on your needs and will include overall industry knowledge as requested. Our trainers have extensive knowledge and the ability to field questions from your staff. Examples of content we can cover includes, but is not limited to: engineering, design requirements, design process, TIMP, DIMP, SIMP, PSMS, PSM, 192 or 195 code requirements, recordkeeping, and regulatory changes or updates.

Risk Assessment Support

ENTRUST Solutions Group supports our clients in understanding and mitigating the risks posed to their system by a variety of threats. We work closely with operators to identify threats, establish mechanisms for quantifying the likelihood of the threat creating an adverse event, and then measuring the potential impact of that threat to the system and surroundings. We support operators throughout all aspects of their risk management program, from identifying and managing data sources to calculating the risk and the potential impact from mitigation. Additionally, we can implement a data driven spatial risk model supporting the analysis of threat categories covered by 49 CFR 192 and 195. Our engineers can also extend the analysis by quantifying categories that are outside of federal code to include those additional threats that are of concern to our clients.

Data Assessment, Integration & Management

A common theme among process risks identified through the PSMS risk management process, is related to the quality of data and records. ENTRUST Solutions Group’s Data Solutions and Integrity experts work with clients on a variety of fronts to elevate the quality of data. We provide services to assess different data sources, such as those in a GIS, records related to the establishment of MAOPs, those being produced as part of integrity management processes, data coming from design, construction or inspection activities, or disconnected and potentially duplicated data sources such as Excel spreadsheets, personal databases, or stand-alone enterprise data repositories. Our experts work with clients to evaluate these data sources and strategically integrate them into the enterprise data systems, which is critical to support risk management, decision making, and compliance. ENTRUST helps clients to manage data and ensure data maintenance practices are executed to minimize data errors and maintain high quality data sources. ENTRUST has the resources to provide a holistic set of solutions for our clients, including: assessment, research, integration, and maintenance.

Quality Management System Consulting

At the core of every database should be a data-driven model with quality standards that supports every aspect of your business. Consistent and accurate information is necessary for the analysis of your assets as you apply quality management principles.

ENTRUST Solutions Group is proud to hold an ISO 9001 certification with The International Organization of Standardization. Our quality management system is a client-focused set of standards that are adaptive to the QA/QC demands of any project.

Our team of experts includes database managers, GIS analysts, software developers, gas and electric utility engineers, and non-gas pipeline engineers whose industry knowledge is essential for designing an effective QC program. QC professionals at ENTRUST have the essential resources to accurately execute the QC plan, such as programmatic automation, robust checklists, and performance analysis tools. Whether you are looking for a QC program embedded into an ENTRUST project or prefer a standalone product, ENTRUST has the technical expertise to ensure your data meets your standards. These principals are fundamental to the implementation of a safety management system and these practiced skills and processes are applied to serve our clients.

Dashboards and Reporting

At ENTRUST Solutions Group, creating dashboards and reports involves more than just displaying data for our clients. It requires an intimate understanding of how the data relates to the underlying health of the business and preparing it in a manner that readily exposes those insights to the business users. Our team helps our clients identify key performance indicators (KPIs) which, by monitoring both leading and lagging indicators, allow for adjustments to changing conditions to avoid major problems.

The key to building dashboards and reports that deliver value is in understanding what data is most indicative of business health and how to present it in such a manner that it is readily digested. Dashboards and reports are a critical element in the business decision support process. This too applies to reflecting the health, progress, and effectiveness of the PSMS by providing decision makers with quick access to their safety results and outcomes from the PSMS. By delivering timely data, presented in an easily understood format, ENTRUST helps our customers make the best decisions for their business and communicate with their various stakeholders.

Threat and Risk Analysis

Threat and risk analysis experts at ENTRUST Solutions Group assist clients by looking at their pipeline system holistically, determining which pipeline threats apply to their systems, and then providing a risk ranking on the threats to their system. This process determines which assessment methods will be required to evaluate risk and the integrity of the systems. The resulting data is incorporated back into the risk rankings. Through this analysis, process related risks are often surfaced and can be incorporated into the PSMS risk management process for further analysis and mitigation.

Continual Evaluation

ENTRUST Solutions Group’s highly trained staff has extensive experience developing and implementing continual evaluation processes used to evaluate results and make process improvements. The process is cyclical in nature and begins with an initial assessment. ENTRUST can help operators analyze if the processes in place are effective and define an interval appropriate between integrity assessments as they schedule and plan work. This helps operators practice the cycle of routine monitoring and evaluation, followed by continuous improvement within a specified timeframe that meets regulatory requirements. Our team also aids operators in cost saving considerations by developing a holistic plan based on results.

Records Validation & MAOP Reconfirmation

ENTRUST Solutions Group’s team of experts specialize in record validation and provide a comprehensive service that goes beyond what code requires. We evaluate data that is being collected to support critical requirements, such as for Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP) reconfirmation but also to ensure that we optimize the collection and validation process to meet other needs, such as those that surface during the execution of the PSMS. The additional information is integrated into a client’s GIS system and can be leveraged when planning future design work, conducting risk assessments, and implementing process improvements.

Corrosion Control and Metallurgical Consulting

ENTRUST Solutions Group’s NACE (AAMP) and ASME certified experts focus on the long-term protection of your valuable assets and are dedicated to preserving their structural integrity. We have a thorough understanding of federal, state, and local regulations affecting the oil, gas, water, and wastewater industries. We work with our clients to prevent structural failures, extend the asset operating life, and ensure compliance with all relevant codes and regulations.

We further support the execution of a client’s PSMS and can offer services to execute failure analysis, welding procedure development, welder qualification, fitness-for-service or engineering critical assessments, material selection and verification, pipe mill audits and qualification assessments, and the development of pipe and fitting specifications.

Process Safety Management

The ENTRUST Solutions Group SMS team of professionals is well rounded, with many of them having worked on the operator or owner’s side, giving them a unique perspective and ability to understand client concerns. These experts can help develop and implement a PSM program or evaluate and improve existing PSM programs for safe operations and compliance with PSM standards. We offer many additional services, including process safety information, process hazard analysis, compliance audits, operating procedures, training, mechanical integrity, incident investigation, PSM program development, and risk management program development.

Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

Our consultants have the knowledge and expertise to facilitate and lead your process hazard analysis (PHA) to enhance the safety of your operation. We have experienced facilitators and leaders with backgrounds in various industries which require PHAs to be performed. Services that ENTRUST Solutions Group offers in connection with PHAs include setting up software to capture PHA results, evaluating systems and processes, defining scenarios to evaluate, identifying causes and consequences from those scenarios, and communicating findings and recommendations.

Process Safety Information (PSI)

As a part of a process safety management program, ENTRUST Solutions Group’s experts can develop process safety information to meet compliance requirements. Whether upgrading existing or developing it for new assets, our team of experts can help bring your pipeline or facility data and record information into compliance. This could include items, such as electrical classification, process flow diagrams, safety systems information, inventory levels, or process chemistry tables.

Management of Change

To ensure that health, safety, and environmental risks are evaluated and under control before changes are made, a management of change program must be in place for those required to follow process safety management rules. ENTRUST Solutions Group’s team of experts have the experience needed to develop and execute an effective MOC process. We gather the data necessary to develop clients’ governance documents outlining the protocols and processes for conducting a MOC. We can also supply staff to support the MOC requests, documentation during turnaround events, or other support requests.

Mechanical Integrity

ENTRUST Solutions Group’s experts have extensive experience developing comprehensive solutions for mechanical integrity programs to ensure reliability, safety, and compliance with regulations. We can support your efforts by developing, implementing, or improving your mechanical integrity program. This includes developing or upgrading written manual or governance documents, providing training on how to remain in compliance, developing the inspection and testing protocols, and developing quality assurance protocols.

Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)

When making risk management decisions, our clients often choose to partner with ENTRUST Solutions Group for a Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA). We have experienced, certified facilitators who can lead a client through a LOPA. This service includes identifying the highest risk causes and scenarios and putting them through the quantitative, methodic, layer of protection analysis to determine the number of independent protection layers required to mitigate or prevent each identified catastrophic consequence.