PHMSA Publishes PSMS Advisory Bulletin

Today the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice of issuance of an advisory bulletin on “Pipeline Safety: Pipeline Safety Management System” in the Federal Register (90 FR 13658-13661). That advisory bulletin (ADB-2025-01). The bulletin is intended to promote and to encourage regulated pipeline owners and operators to develop and implement a pipeline safety management system (PSMS) based on a framework such as the one detailed in the American Petroleum Institute's (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1173: “Pipeline Safety Management Systems (API RP 1173).” NOTE: API sells copies of RP 1173 for $107.00, either as a secure .pdf file or as a printed edition.

The bulletin notes that:

“PHMSA encourages the voluntary adoption of PSMS based on a framework such as the one detailed in API RP 1173, as PHMSA believes developing and implementing PSMS would be an effective way to enhance pipeline safety systematically. PHMSA shares NTSB's view that a voluntarily adopted PSMS program can ensure pipelines are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained in a way that complies with more than just the minimum safety standards found in regulations.”