Safety Management System

Are you, like Pipelink, in compliance with the recent Belgian legislation? In March 2022, Pipelink's legally required safety management system (SMS) successfully passed an external audit. This means Pipelink has succeeded in being ready for a major new phase in the safe operation of transport piping in Belgium by 30 June 2022. Updated safety rules In 2017 – after more than 25 years – the safety legislation (or Belgian Gas Law) on the management of high-pressure pipelines for the transport of liquids and gases was updated. Pipeline owners like Pipelink were given 5 years to comply with these new safety rules. One major requirement in this new legislation is to have an audited safety management system (SMS). For pipelines installed prior to 2017, the SMS needed to be audited by an external auditor by the end of June 2022. Pipelines licensed between 2017 and June 2022 even needed to comply with new legislative requirements within 1 year from its commissioning. External audit The audit of Pipelink's safety management system was carried out by an internationally renowned auditor, as approved by the government. Processes, procedures and inspection reports were among the things closely inspected during this audit. These were used to check whether Pipelink's safety management system met the stipulations imposed by the regulations. Pipelink is proud to report that this first test was passed with flying colours. No non-conformities emerged from this audit.