Operator Qualification Integrity Process Website Now Live
(UC) — The website of the Operator Qualification Integrity Process or OQIP is now live at www.oqip.org.
The site provides background and history on the process as well as resources and FAQs. Most importantly, it houses the OQIP guidance document, the road map to raising the bar on the integrity of the process.
In 2016, the Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) created a task force to investigate whether and how the industry can improve the OQ process and provide more consistency in compliance with operator OQ programs.
Recognizing pending adjustments by PHMSA to several provisions of the OQ rule, the task force believed a fresh look at and potential new approaches to OQ will benefit all stakeholders.The work of the task force has evolved from a discussion of several OQ-related issues by an ad hoc group of interested stakeholders to a structured and chartered coalition consisting of DCA contractors, OQ service providers, Gas Operators, Regional and National Gas Associations, Industry consulting groups, & subject matter experts who represent various sectors of the Gas Industry from all areas of the nation.
Staff from DCA and the American Gas Association (AGA) also are supporting this effort.
This group evolved and built a strong, Industry Coalition on OQ Integrity, establishing high expectations and placing validating measures in place to assure member organizations are performing with “the bar raised higher” than we have often seen in our industry.
The efforts of these members of the OQIP Coalition have created a standardized approach to deploying all aspects of qualifying, training, testing, and auditing elements associated with OQ.
While the process is ongoing, the results of the work to date are now available to the industry through the new website of the Operator Qualification Integrity Process (OQIP) – www.oqip.org.
The OQ Integrity Process is not intended to be the basis of future regulation. While increasing consistency and standardization will result in “raising the bar” by going above and beyond current regulation, this will be achieved by voluntary actions overseen by Process participants
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