Significant insights into risk are routinely missed when certain risk assessment methodologies are used. This article examines some fundamental differences between QRA techniques in terms of how they catch—and potentially miss—important evidence. PIN_October_2019_Risk Management
Topic: Risk Assessment
Problems With Industry Guidance Docs
Since 2011, there have been attempts to update the ASME B31.8s document with regards to threats and risk assessment. The lack of updates to this important guidance document has resulted in continuing confusion for industry practitioners and wastes of resources on non-issues such as ‘threat interaction’ (which is almost entirely caused by the B31.8S language. […]
Analyses, Applications, Myths and Misconceptions, Risk Assessment, Risk Assessment Methodologies, Risk Management, What's New?
“Don’t Worry — We did an ILI”
Many newbies in our industry have never been without the ability to ILI a pipeline. ILI is now considered a normal and essential part of owning and operating many pipelines. However, we should take a moment to make sure we are not losing perspective. Let’s recall our origins. When ILI first became a practical tool, […]
Analyses, Applications, Facilities / tanks / pumps / compressors / appurtenances / etc, Risk Assessment, Risk Management
Life Cycle Risk–An HDD Example
Life cycle risk assessment is an interesting topic in and beyond the integrity management field. This article features a discussion of this special type of risk assessment applied to a certain pipeline installation method, in this case, HDD installation. In previous articles, we’ve discussed some non-regulatory integrity management program applications of pipeline risk assessment (including […]
Interview
The Outlook for Pipeline Risk Assessment A 2014* Interview with W. Kent Muhlbauer *but still relevant! PHMSA has recently expressed criticism regarding how Integrity Management Plan (IMP) risk assessment (RA) for pipelines is being conducted. Do you also see problems? There is a wide range of practice among pipeline operators right now. Some RA is […]
Pipeline Geohazard Risks
Here’s a advance draft of an article to be included in an upcoming ASME textbook. Geohaz Essay ASME wkm Rev C
The Essential Elements of Pipeline Risk Assessment
Here’s an update to the original 2012 article introducing the essential elements of pipeline risk assessment. Little has changed–the originally introduced elements seem to be robust and comprehensive, as suggested by having weathered a few years of scrutiny now. PIN_March_2018_Kent_Muhlbauer
Statistical Life Valuation
As monetization of risk becomes more mainstream, values must be assigned to the potential for human injury or fatality. The risk assessor need not generate values himself since such numbers are published in various sources. This includes values that have been used in US government decision-making for years. Here is some example guidance: VSL Guidance 2013 […]
Can you explain more about Geohazards and Weather-Related Outside Forces?
Geohazards and Weather-Related Outside Force The threat category ‘Outside Force’ in a risk assessment typically includes forces such as ground/earth movement, flooding, cold weather, and lightning. When buried pipelines cross sloping terrain, there is a danger that soil movement (down the slope) will impose an excessive load on the pipe that could lead to failure. […]
Optimizing the use of Inspection Results
A limitation that continues to plague older risk assessment methodologies is the inability to fully include the results of inspections. None dispute the value of inspection and its critical role in failure avoidance. Yet, neither the classical statistics-centric QRA nor the common relative risk ranking methodologies, can capture inspection activity in a meaningful way. A […]