API RP 1162

The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Public Awareness final rule regarding API RP 1162 went into effect on June 20, 2005. This Final Rule addresses pipeline efforts to improve public awareness of pipeline operations and safety issues through enhanced communications with:

• The public (including residents and places of congregation, such as businesses, schools, hospitals, prisons, and other places where people gather) in the pipeline vicinity and its associated rights-of-way and pipeline facilities
• State and local emergency response and planning officials (e.g., State and County emergency management agencies (EMAs) and local emergency planning committees (LEPCs)) and first responder organizations
• Local public officials and governing councils of affected municipalities and school districts
• Excavators

The RP 1162 rule addresses the requirements of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act (PSIA) of 2002 and references the guidelines provided in the American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1162, "Public Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators."

CeleritasWorks^TM Public Awareness Manager^TM assists companies with API RP 1162 compliance by providing one centrally located database that is web-accessible, and where a company can map, document, manage and track all communications with audiences. It provides a sophisticated audit trail, down to the contact level, where a company can quickly query, map, and display information about stakeholders by address, county, zip code, etc.