Down the Line: Avoiding Pipeline Problems

Linewatch is an organisation made up of oil and gas pipeline operators whose goal is raising awareness of pipeline networks and promoting safe working practices near pipelines.

As part of their awareness campaign, Linewatch has published an annual report detailing the pipeline infringements that occurred over the previous year. Infringements are Linewatch’s key metric and can refer to a range of incidents from unauthorised work near pipelines to direct damage to the infrastructure.

Infringements are then classified into low, medium and high risk based on the potential consequence of a damaged pipeline and the likelihood that a pipeline could have been damaged. There is also an additional near miss category which, while subjective, generally refers to an event which occurs outside of the easement but would have been an infringement if it had occurred within the easement.

This year’s report covers incidents in 2024 and includes the following key findings:

• A 6% increase in infringements year-on-year.
• 52% of infringements occur despite the person digging knowing of the pipeline’s existence.
• Landowners, and their associated contractors, continue to be the largest cause of infringements.
• Most high-risk infringements occurred on farmland.
• The majority of infringements were caused by excavation and fencing jobs.
• Reports of high and medium risk infringements and near misses have increased since the previous year, while low-risk infringements have decreased slightly.

Overall, Linewatch reports that their primary concern continues to be landowners alongside their contractors continuing to use larger machinery and more intrusive digging methods as part of agricultural practice. Landowners and their contractors are less likely to undertake methods, such as CAT scanning, to locate underground services such as pipelines before undertaking work.

In response to this, Linewatch intends to develop an e-learning programme promoting safe digging in the agricultural sector.

To ensure safety when carrying out activities that have the potential to damage pipelines, ensure that you complete the following precautions:

• Use a mixture of methods to obtain information about the location of underground pipelines. This includes LSBUD (Line search before you dig), up-to-date pipeline location maps from the operators, and looking for pipeline markers.
• Where required, e.g. for high-pressure pipelines, notify any nearby pipeline operators of the work taking place in advance.
• Conduct a site-specific risk assessment with relevant information regarding the location, depth and type of pipelines and the potential impact on local infrastructure.
• Brief all workers on potential risks and the actions they should take through safe systems of work and briefings.
• Ensure that emergency procedures are in place. For example, in the event of an emergency, like a pipeline leak, all personnel should be removed from the vicinity, any naked flames extinguished, all working plant in the vicinity shut down, emergency services contacted, and the pipeline operator contacted.

If you have any questions or would like support with managing issues at your workplace, please speak to your usual contact or get in touch using the form below.