Announcing the new guideline at the 2004 APIA convention on the Gold Coast, APIA president, Mark Twycross, said it was essential that the industry continued to respond to the expectations of its people, technical regulators and the wider community.

“The pipeline industry is strongly committed to minimising pipeline safety incidents that affect our workforce and the environment in which we work,” Twycross said.

“This APIA Onshore Construction Safety Guideline provides important advice to members on the incorporation of safety issues into project construction safety plans,”

Twycross said that Part A of the Guideline provided detailed advice on preparation of a construction safety plan, including guidance on safety management systems and the role of formal safety assessments.

Part B outlines the key issues on which more detailed guidance will be provided to members through the APIA Health and Safety Committee.

“The guideline is expected to contribute to excellent safety outcomes across the entire chain of participants involved in the complex process of pipeline construction,” he said.

“The document has been released as an exposure draft to the industry to enable feedback on additional topics which should be included in the guidance notes section.

“This guidance notes section has identified the need for progressive development of detailed advice on a range of topics including fire protection, working around powerlines, lifting of materials, handling of chemicals, personnel qualifications and training and use of explosives.”

Twycross said APIA would be taking a range of actions to complement this Guideline and assist in its wide adoption by Australia’s pipeline industry.

“This will include a much stronger role for the APIA Health and Safety Committee, new forums for members to discuss health and safety issues, implementation of an industry wide safety alert system and a proactive program to engage safety regulators on industry based safety models.”