HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 21, 2010) - Veriforce, the leader in providing regulatory compliance and qualification verification for Pipeline Operators, is helping Operators by tracking and verifying compliance information to meet the higher alternative MAOP Rule set forth by the PHMSA. The rule allows certain gas transmission pipelines to operate at higher pressures and pipeline stress levels than regulations previously allowed which lets Operators achieve greater efficiencies and gas product throughput.
"Veriforce is helping Operators implement the MAOP rule for construction tasks by including these tasks in our system so that Operators can have the ability to track compliance and verify the qualification." explained Louie Werderich, president of Veriforce. "Operator compliance with the final alternative MAOP rule, regardless of when the task was performed, can be easily tracked using our system, saving the Operators time, effort and money.”
An Operator must develop an Operator Qualification (OQ) Program for construction tasks that can affect pipeline integrity. The program must comply with 49 CFR 192.801 and be followed throughout the construction process for the qualification of individuals performing tasks on an alternative MAOP special permit pipeline. Operators seeking to take advantage of the MAOP rule by operating at the higher allowable operating stress levels must treat construction tasks as if they were covered by subpart N Qualification of Pipeline Personnel construction activities. Construction activities are OQ covered tasks regardless of whether or not they meet the four-part test in 49 CFR 192.801(b).
Veriforce’s OQ system now includes the additional construction, operating and maintenance requirements that supplement the previous requirements in Part 192. Veriforce can help Operators identify and establish requirements for covered tasks that impact personnel working on higher operating pressure pipelines, qualify individuals to perform those tasks and manage the qualifications of those individuals.
Improvements in pipeline technology and risk controls over the past 25 years have allowed new regulations for higher pressure and pipeline stress levels, provided that certain conditions are met that ensure an adequate margin of safety. Operators seeking guidance on the Operator Qualification compliance requirements to operate at a higher alternative MAOP should contact Veriforce at 1.800.426.1604 to learn how Veriforce helps Operators to meet the necessary requirements.
ABOUT VERIFORCE Veriforce is the nation’s leader in regulatory compliance and qualification verification for Operator Qualification (OQ), Drug & Alcohol and safety monitoring. They are the only OQ service provider that verifies, audits, and has complete documentation for all the necessary compliance records. For more information, contact the company at 1.800.426.1604.
HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 18, 2010) - Veriforce, the leader in providing regulatory compliance and qualification verification for Pipeline Operators, is responding to the recent PHMSA advisory bulletin on changes to the drug and alcohol data reporting requirements by reaching out to Operators who are scrambling to submit this new information to the Department of Transportation (DOT) by the March 15, 2010 deadline.
"Veriforce is helping Operators with this reporting requirement in several ways and it is saving our customers a lot of time and money in the process," explained Louie Werderich, president of Veriforce. "Many Operators are finding a real advantage in having us take care of their reports for them. They choose to have us obtain contractor Business Tax Identification Numbers (BTIN) and enter their contractor testing data from our verified records rather than them trying to gather and manage the information themselves.”
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) has modified the Drug & Alcohol Management Information System (DAMIS) to now require Pipeline Operators with more than 50 covered employees to submit drug and alcohol testing data for all contractors that performed covered work for them during the previous year. These reports must be submitted in addition to the Operator’s own data and are due by March 15 of each year. The submittal of the contractor BTIN’s along with these reports will also allow the DOT to analyze contractor data without duplication. This data will be used to help determine the PHMSA minimum annual percentage rate for random drug testing.
“We help to ensure that contractors are meeting our Operator’s requirements, by tracking the data, and providing real-time access to reports,” explained Werderich. “We can also review the data contractors have submitted and work with them to verify accuracy.”
Veriforce is also clearing up confusion about whether an Operator would need to submit data for a specific contractor. For example, a contractor that was hired to perform some emergency response function, but was not used for the year because there was never an emergency, would still need to be reported. However, this would not include contractors that never worked for a specific Operator during the year, but may still have a Master Service Agreement (MSA) with the Operator.
ABOUT VERIFORCE - Veriforce is the nation’s leader in regulatory compliance and qualification verification for Operator Qualification (OQ), Drug & Alcohol and safety monitoring. They are the only OQ service provider that verifies, audits, and has complete documentation for all the necessary compliance records. For more information, contact the company at 1.800.426.1604.
HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 30, 2009) -- Veriforce has formed a Contractor Advisory Group (CAG) made up of 1 large and 1 small contractor from each of the industry associations: American Pipeline Contractors Association, Pipe Line Contractors Association, and Pipeline Contractors Roundtable Group to provide contractor feedback to Veriforce and the Pipeline Operators.
CAG will to meet once each quarter to work toward four common goals:
Veriforce is the nation’s leader in regulatory compliance and qualification verification for OQ, D&A, and safety monitoring and the only Operator Qualification (OQ) service provider that verifies, audits, and has complete documentation for all your compliance records. For more information, contact the company at 1.800.426.1604.
“Veriforce has excellent customer service. They really help you understand the OQ process in a helpful and considerate manner. We also utilize their training guides to help qualify operators and contractors for each covered task. Their online training tools make it easier for us to meet the training requirements of the DOT mandated OQ Rule.”
Brion Beaver, OQ Manager