It is now widely recognised that, as with many engineering disciplines, there is a shortage of experienced and qualified pipeline engineers, and this will increasingly become a problem as many people with a great depth of knowledge and experience can be expected to retire in the next five to ten years. Over an above this there is a need for a mechanism to assist employers of pipeline engineers to understand the skills base of their employees, to further help ensure that they are fully competent and able to act in the role of ’competent person’ in accordance with AS2885.
APIA’s Board has made the project of developing and implementing a program for pipeline engineer training a priority and delegated the role of overseeing the project to a Board sub-committee. Chris Harvey who, until August this year, had worked with AGL, Alinta and Jemena for 28 years, is to project manage the first stage towards developing a program.
Stage 1 consists of two main components:
- The development of a document, which effectively defines and describes the competencies – including knowledge and experience – required by a pipeline engineer. This document will seek to classify the skills to recognise the main areas of pipeline engineering, including design, construction and operation; and,
- The development of the first stage of an explanatory document for AS2885. This document will provide the rationale and understanding behind AS2885 for a number of priority areas. It is intended that, after Stage 1, this explanatory document can be expanded to include more detailed elements of AS2885. Work on the explanatory document will require the support of the Australian Standards Committee ME38 and its subcommittees and APIA will be looking to partner with ME38 in the development of the explanatory document.
While these documents are being developed, consideration will be given to further steps of the program and its implementation.
It is expected that this initial work will take about a year.
APIA intends to keep members informed about the project’s progress. Also, members are encouraged to comment on or contribute in any way to the process. Chris will draw on the experience of APIA members and welcomes any contributions, including in the proposed reference groups for each of the documents described above.
Basket is empty.
