As a continuation of the education program on ‘AS2885 Pipelines Gas and Liquid Petroleum’ that APIA commenced in Adelaide in August 2006, a seminar on the Standard was staged in Brisbane on 21 November 2006.

The seminar provided participants with a unique opportunity to raise issues with the subcommittee chairmen who prepared Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the Standard. There were over 80 participants, an exceptional turnout that indicates the level of interest in what is happening with all parts of the Standard.

Peter Cox gave the introductory presentation on the importance of the industry “bible” and the need for industry to remain involved in the development and changes to the Standard. He stated that the industry was very conversant with the Standards and the benefits they provided1- a statement that was to be tested and debated during the day.

Phil Venton, chair of ME 38 and AS2885.1 gave an overview of Part 1 and asked some pointed questions about the purpose of Standards. Graeme Hogarth then challenged the industry on his experience with auditing Safety and Operating Plans and where improvements could be made.

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John Fleming overviewed the regulator’s approach to AS2885 and the industry and pointed out that in QLD AS2885 was one of only four “Mandatory” Standards. He also reminded the industry that this was because “we asked for it”.

As chair of Part 2, Leigh Fletcher presented the current status of Part 2, along with his “How close to the edge are you?” presentation. The issues surrounding Hydrogen Assisted Cold Cracking (HACC) and the prevention of this insidious welding problem were made clear to all present.

After a break, participants were jurors in a mock court case, which covered real issues in design and construction, as well as the impact on ongoing operations and maintenance. The session was too real for some and generated plenty of discussion.

In the afternoon sessions, Tony Vervest provided an overview of the APIA Onshore Construction Safety Guidelines, and the benefits that they can provide as a checklist of issues that need to be considered when developing Safety Management Plans.

Ed Gaykema, Part 3 committee member, gave an overview of Pipeline Integrity Management (PIM), introduced in the last revision. The key issues raised were how PIM was structured to provide ongoing risk management for the operations and maintenance of pipelines.

Finally, Wendy Mathieson and Gerrard Coggan presented the important elements of the APIA Code of Environmental Practice.

The content of the seminar, and the discussion that ensued, left the impression that the industry is not afraid to be critical of itself and is quick to identify and debate areas where improvement can be made. This can only be healthy in an industry that prides itself on professionalism and an excellent reputation. The Standard plays a key role in ensuring more vigorous discussion as the industry moves forward.