Webinar: OQ Compliance During the Spread of COVID-19

Please join us for this complimentary webinar.

COVID-19 has brought challenges previously unknown to today’s generations. Working from home and social distancing are the new norm. The timeline for this pandemic has yet to be determined.

Travel restrictions and social distancing requirements due to the spread of COVID-19 have created serious challenges for the gas industry in many areas, including adherence to the OQ Rule. PHMSA has issued a notice of waiver of enforcement during the national and state emergency orders. Operators are now managing and maintaining their systems under this waiver.

Join MEA and panelists for this webinar to help gas industry professionals in working through this issue. The panel includes gas operations leaders who are responsible for managing their company’s OQ plans as well as a state inspector. Panel discussion will cover:

• Overview of the PHMSA guidance

• Documenting OQ plan variances during the pandemic
• State Inspections and enforcement and differences among them
• Performance evaluations solutions, such as remote or extensions
• Managing critical tasks (welding, fusion, tapping, etc.)
• Quality assurance
• Subsequent qualifications post-pandemic

Panelists:          

• Andrea Chamblin, OQ Compliance Manager, Kinder Morgan
• JP Greenwell, Technical Training Manager, CenterPoint
• Brad Hansen, OQ Manager, Wisconsin Public Service and We Energies
• Todd Schumacher, Supt. of Quality Assurance/OQ, Ameren Illinois
• Mary Zanter, Pipeline Safety Program Manager, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
• Richard Stump, VP Member Relations, MEA (moderator)