Responding to an emergency

TC Energy Pipeline and Operations Safety

When responding to an emergency, minutes count.

At the first sign of any potential issue on our pipeline systems, operators in the Operations Control Center can stop the flow of product through the pipeline in minutes and investigate. If an abnormal condition is detected, pipeline operators immediately dispatch emergency personnel to the scene to investigate. The pipeline is not restarted until it has been confirmed on site that it is safe to do so.

If required, TC Energy will activate its Incident Management Team, comprised of company personnel, contract specialists, first responders and local regulators. Their goal is to mitigate and resolve the impact of an incident. TC Energy will notify officials for many types of gas emergencies, including: gas detected inside or near a building, fire located near or directly involving a pipeline facility, explosion occurring near or directly involving a pipeline facility, and natural disasters.

When responding, TC Energy uses a standard and proven approach to coordinate its activities during the incident, called the Incident Command System (ICS). This approach is the industry best-practice model for command, control and coordination when responding to emergencies.

It’s broadly used by police, fire fighters, the military, regulatory agencies and organizations that respond to emergencies. Using the ICS approach ensures that those responding to an emergency are familiar with the process and are aware of their role during times of crisis. This allows the response to be as efficient and effective as possible.