The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) operates in a dynamic and challenging environment. The scope and complexity of our safety mission will continue to grow, requiring that we fundamentally rethink how we will use data, information, and technology to achieve our safety goals.

In this context, PHMSA's leadership team has updated the agency's strategic framework. As part of this work, we have developed bold new vision and mission statements that better reflect our focus on innovation, and how essential PHMSA's safety mission is to the daily lives of Americans - allowing for the safe transportation of energy that heats our homes and powers our mobile devices.

PHMSA's mission is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. To do this, the agency establishes national policy, sets and enforces standards, educates, and conducts research to prevent incidents. We also prepare the public and first responders to reduce consequences if an incident does occur.

This webpage is designed to provide information to regulators, pipeline operators, contractors and vendors on the Operator Qualification (OQ) Rule (49 CFR Part 192, Subpart N and 49 CFR Part 195, Subpart G). This rule, which was adopted into the Code of Federal Regulations, requires pipeline operators to document that certain employees have been adequately trained to recognize and react to abnormal operating conditions that may occur while performing specific tasks.

To adhere to these requirements, an operator is responsible for the following:

• Developing an Operator Qualification (OQ) program, following their written OQ plan;
• Establishing a covered task list applicable to their system, and;
• Defining the training and qualification requirements for personnel performing covered tasks on their pipeline facility;
• Ensuring their contractors and vendors comply with their program requirements.

Further, this webpage will provide operators with the following resources: applicable provisions of the Rule and the Preamble, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs),questions developed for use in inspecting operator programs against provisions of the Rule, and public meeting dialog (available under Historical Data and Information).

The information on this page will continue to evolve to ensure that it represents the most up-to-date references on OQ.