DO: Program Delivery – Overview

Pipeline public awareness programs will generally vary based on the specifics of an operator’s pipeline system, their stakeholders, products transported, and more. There are, however, several underlying commonalities of all public awareness programs, including the delivery of information to its intended stakeholder audiences.  For any operator’s program to be effective it must be delivered; that much is obvious.

What may be less obvious, though, are the many delivery methods that can be used to get an operator’s information into their stakeholders’ hands (and home). Many operators have defaulted to direct mail to meet their baseline program requirements for RP 1162, and public education requirements before the 1st Edition of 1162 became effective. However, in the 3rd Edition, technology and digital platforms, including social media, text messaging, apps, virtual meetings, and more, have been introduced for program delivery. This Edition also provides clarification on the use of collaborative efforts to meet program objectives and defines liaison.

Section 6 of the 3rd Edition comprises six baseline requirements (“shall statements”) for operators:

  1. Table 11 (Section 6.2, pg. 20) provides baseline delivery frequencies for each stakeholder audience by type of pipeline.
  2. Section 6.3 (pg. 21) focuses on communication requirements due to new emergency contact information and the introduction of new hazards, and includes four baseline requirements:
  3. Section 6.4 details the types of delivery methods that operators can use for delivery of their baseline or supplemental programs, and states: An operator’s program shall identify the delivery method or combination of methods used to deliver baseline messages to stakeholders. Section 6.4.1 further notes that operators should select delivery methods for messages that support the objectives of their public awareness program.