Operating Discipline

Management systems provide an overarching framework for the various actions and programs we carry out to maintain the fitness of our pipelines and facilities. All of our business segments employ management systems that must meet enterprise-wide requirements for mandatory protection programs and standards for rigor and effectiveness, but are tailored to the uniqueness of each business segment’s operations. These systems represent the rules and the checks and balances that help us to prevent human errors and continuously improve the safety and reliability of our operations.

We recognize the importance of process safety and are incorporating it into our business-specific integrated management systems. Enterprise-wide requirements follow the industry-recommended practice (American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1173) for pipeline safety management systems.

Process safety incidents involve an unexpected or uncontrolled release from a pipeline system or processing facility, sometimes involving an injury, fire or explosion resulting from release or leak of hazardous material. They have the potential to claim lives, impact the environment, and have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences. Enbridge investigates our process safety incidents to learn what controls and safety barriers failed―and why―in order to make changes to our assets and safety management system that will prevent similar failures in the future.

Managing Hazards

How the integrity of a pipeline is managed depends on the threats the pipeline faces. Not every pipeline is subject to the same threats and stresses, so Enbridge employs a wide range of risk assessment, inspection and surveillance techniques to identify threats and hazards and then selects the right combination of controls and safety barriers to preserve integrity over the life cycle of the pipeline. The process involves continual learning. As inspection technology, pipeline materials and construction practices improve with time and new data on threats and pipeline condition are gathered, our methods of maintaining fitness for service evolve. For more information please visit: http://www.enbridge.com/about-us/safety/operations

THREATS	KEY PRIORITIES	HOW WE TAKE ACTION
External and internal corrosion. Fatigue and stress corrosion cracking. Geohazards (including slope movement, submarine currents and scouring at watercourse crossings). Human error, including third-party mechanical damage to pipe, causing releases of hazardous material.	Achieve zero spills or leaks. Maintain the fitness for service of our pipelines and facilities. Focus on damage prevention, leak detection and corrosion prevention programs. Ensure the quality of the assets we build. Instill robust process safety management and high levels of operational discipline across the entire Enbridge system.	Design and Construction Carefully select our pipeline routes and line and facility locations. Follow strict standards for engineering and design. Extensively test new materials and technology before they are introduced. Ensure our designs meet or exceed all governmental codes and regulations in order to provide the safest and most reliable assets possible. Incorporate special design considerations for areas such as road, river and creek crossings and for high-consequence areas where the public may be affected. Set rigorous standards for pipeline materials received from manufacturers and check them to ensure they meet our standards and specifications. Employ professional inspectors to oversee every facet of construction, as well as use x-ray or ultrasound to inspect welds for potential defects. Monitoring and Prevention Once pipelines are running, continuously monitor them for any signs of trouble. Conduct in-line inspections to detect any signs of internal and external corrosion, cracking, strain, fatigue, dents and legacy manufacturing defects; repair any defects found. Recognize conditions that have been known to cause failures in the past and carefully analyze failures from our peers, and then work to minimize the risks. Ensure adequate cathodic protection is provided to our steel pipelines. Minimize pressure cycling of liquids pipelines to prevent fatigue. Conduct regular preventive maintenance at our facilities. Monitor land use changes and ground disturbance work around our pipelines. Inform the public, public works and excavating companies about the presence of our pipelines and how to dig safely. Locate our pipelines for parties digging in the vicinity. Investigate unauthorized activities on our rights-of-way. Leak Detection Devote resources—both people and automated systems—on a continuous, 24/7/365 basis to ensure that we maintain control of our pipelines and facilities and quickly respond to abnormal situations. Monitor our pipelines for possible leaks and damages using multiple, redundant methods.

THREATS

KEY PRIORITIES

HOW WE TAKE ACTION

External and internal corrosion.
Fatigue and stress corrosion cracking.
Geohazards (including slope movement, submarine currents and scouring at watercourse crossings).
Human error, including third-party mechanical damage to pipe, causing releases of hazardous material.

Achieve zero spills or leaks.
Maintain the fitness for service of our pipelines and facilities.
Focus on damage prevention, leak detection and corrosion prevention programs.
Ensure the quality of the assets we build.
Instill robust process safety management and high levels of operational discipline across the entire Enbridge system.

Design and Construction

Carefully select our pipeline routes and line and facility locations.
Follow strict standards for engineering and design.
Extensively test new materials and technology before they are introduced.
Ensure our designs meet or exceed all governmental codes and regulations in order to provide the safest and most reliable assets possible.
Incorporate special design considerations for areas such as road, river and creek crossings and for high-consequence areas where the public may be affected.
Set rigorous standards for pipeline materials received from manufacturers and check them to ensure they meet our standards and specifications.
Employ professional inspectors to oversee every facet of construction, as well as use x-ray or ultrasound to inspect welds for potential defects.

Monitoring and Prevention

Once pipelines are running, continuously monitor them for any signs of trouble.
Conduct in-line inspections to detect any signs of internal and external corrosion, cracking, strain, fatigue, dents and legacy manufacturing defects; repair any defects found.
Recognize conditions that have been known to cause failures in the past and carefully analyze failures from our peers, and then work to minimize the risks.
Ensure adequate cathodic protection is provided to our steel pipelines.
Minimize pressure cycling of liquids pipelines to prevent fatigue.
Conduct regular preventive maintenance at our facilities.
Monitor land use changes and ground disturbance work around our pipelines.
Inform the public, public works and excavating companies about the presence of our pipelines and how to dig safely.
Locate our pipelines for parties digging in the vicinity.
Investigate unauthorized activities on our rights-of-way.

Leak Detection

Devote resources—both people and automated systems—on a continuous, 24/7/365 basis to ensure that we maintain control of our pipelines and facilities and quickly respond to abnormal situations.
Monitor our pipelines for possible leaks and damages using multiple, redundant methods.

For more details on our ongoing actions to maintain the fitness of our systems and detecting leaks, please visit the following pages on enbridge.com: Crude Oil and Liquids Pipeline Systems Integrity; Crude Oil Pipeline Monitoring; Operations; and Natural Gas Systems Integrity.