Editorial: Qualification in the pipeline industry

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Editorial: Qualification in the pipeline industry

Editorial 2-2018
Editorial 2-2018

Studies indicate that we in the international pipeline industry are heading for a shortage of well-trained engineers and scientists.

On the one hand, this is due to the fact that in recent years there have been fewer and fewer young people starting engineering or scientific studies, and on the other hand to the fact that the scope of tasks has increased.

The reasons for this increase are the growing number of new construction routes in all parts of the world and the fact that many older pipelines have come of age and that a greater effort has to be made to maintain and rehabilitate them.

On the other hand, it cannot be overlooked that incidents in the international pipeline network are increasingly attributable to human error.

The safety technology (Integrity Management/Inspection/Detection) as well as materials and construction techniques have been significantly further developed in the past 2 decades. Simultanously, it can be doubted that the qualification of employees at all levels of the pipeline value-added chain has kept up everywhere with these significant developments - especially considering the background of the personnel shortage that prevails in many companies.

Everyone should know that a suitable level of qualification can not only help to avoid accidents but can also extend the service life of a pipeline and improve public perception.

All these factors have an impact on the profitability of pipelines - it is therefore surprising that there are no coordinated international efforts to increase the industrywide level of qualification.

With its instruments ptc, ptj, and ptj-newsletter, EITEP has begun to shed light on this topic from various angles under the heading “Qualification and Recruitment”. The articles of this ptj focus issue belong to it. The upcoming ptc (March 19 to 21, 2019, Berlin) will follow with lectures and a seminar to this topic.
Perhaps it will be possible to bring together the various existing approaches to a coordinated international initiative.

 

Yours,Dr. Klaus Ritter

Dr. Klaus Ritter,
President EITEP Institut
Chairman ptc
Editior in Chef ptj

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