Preface
This is the first edition of CSA EXP16, Human and organizational factors for optimal pipeline performance.
This Express Document is not a consensus product; that is, it is not a Standard and it has not been formally reviewed or approved by a CSA Technical Committee. This Express Document may be used as a basis for further standardization.
This Express Document focuses on the pipeline industry with potential application to other industries. Due to the complexity of the subject matter, this Express Document cannot introduce all human and organizational performance topics. A limited selection of subjects and issues relevant to pipeline operations have been included, with additional references identified as supplemental reading in Annex C.
Human and organizational factors (HOF), as a discipline, applies tools, theory, principles, data, and methods to optimize human, organizational, and overall system performance.
Information has been sourced from several other industries such as aviation, nuclear energy, medicine, chemical, and offshore oil and gas industries, but an exhaustive search of all industries proved impractical.
CSA Group acknowledges that the development of this Express Document was made possible, in part, by the financial support of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER).
Scope
1.1 General
This Document is intended to provide recommended best practices for the application of HOF in order to support human and organizational performance, learning, and continual improvement.
The overarching goal of this Document is to contribute towards optimizing pipeline performance, which includes the prevention of harm to people, property, and the environment caused by a major hazard incident (e.g., unintended product release, spill, explosion, fire).
Applying HOF principles to occupational health and safety management (slips, trips and falls, musculoskeletal injuries, etc.) can have a positive effect, but such an application is not the focus of this Document.
1.2 Applicability
This Document is intended to guide pipeline operating companies to
a) understand and apply HOF best practices across all aspects of the pipeline life cycle, utilizing safety and loss management system(s) and related pipeline protection programs (i.e., safety, security, integrity, emergency management, damage prevention, and environmental protection);
b) recognize and understand performance variability in systems and how PIFs affect human actions and decisions in context; and
c) apply HOF principles and best practices before, during, and after an activity or event to promote error avoidance, mitigation, and continuous learning.
This Document is not intended to prescribe specific tools or methods to be used by an operating company. Instead, the principles and practices described are intended to complement existing tools and methods within the context of the company’s management system (including policies, processes, and procedures) and pipeline protection programs.
1.3 Terminology
This Document contains no requirements. In this Document, should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised, and may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the Document.
