The methods and procedures we use to build pipelines are based on established best practice, the latest industry guidance and a number of British and International Standards and regulations.

This means we have to put plans in place for managing the effects of noise and construction traffic on local roads and communities, managing the waste generated by our activities and of course protecting the environment.

Designated engineers are responsible for all health, safety and environmental issues on site including carrying out safety evaluations and risk assessments. In addition, ongoing liaison is maintained with bodies such as the Environment Agency, local authorities and, in particular, environmental health officers and highways officials.

A project archeologist has a permanent brief to identify and monitor any archaeological remains encountered during excavation works and put in place the necessary mitigation.

An environmentalist is also included in the project team to ensure the measures outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessment, and the more detailed Environmental Management Plan, are fully complied with.

Agricultural liaison officers maintain communication with farmers to ensure their needs are met before, during and after construction.

People living near the route are kept informed of the hours of work, the working arrangements and the duration of construction activities.

Great Britain's high-pressure National Gas Transmission System has been in operation for more than 35 years and has an excellent and well-established safety record. In all of that time, the system has never experienced a serious incident affecting life or property.

High-pressure pipelines are built to the most exacting safety standards. They are designed, constructed and operated in accordance with the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers guideline: Steel pipelines for high-pressure gas transmission (IGE/TD/1: Edition 4). This is the recognised industry standard. We also have our own set of design codes which have been fully accepted by the Health and Safety Executive.

The pipe we use is made from high grade steel. All welds are subject to nondestructive testing and each section undergoes a rigorous hydrostatic pressure test to check its integrity before it can be commissioned.

To protect against corrosion, the pipes and welds are coated. We install a cathodic protection system for additional protection.

Once a pipeline is operational, we run a strict and rigorous programme of inspection and maintenance. Pipeline internal gauges known as PIGs are sent through the pipe to check for any defects.

Above ground equipment is fitted with state-of-the-art telemetry devices which feed vital round-the-clock data about the performance and condition of equipment to a team of highly-trained system operators at our National Control Centre. If necessary we can instantly shut down parts of the system by remote control using strategically-placed valves.

In this day and age no major piece of engineering can be built without adequate regard for security and anti-terrorism measures. We can't reveal what these measures are, but we work closely with the police, the security services and the Ministry of Defence when designing and building all our installations.

A high-pressure pipeline is an extremely secure piece of equipment because it is naturally protected from interference as a result of being buried at least 1.2 metres below ground. In some cases, for example under roads and rivers, it can be much deeper.

Although normal farming operations are unaffected we do not allow any excavations within three metres either side of our pipeline. We maintain a watchful eye by regularly walking the route and conducting aerial surveys by helicopter. We maintain close links with landowners and farmers to ensure they know and understand the safety rules and can alert us if they see unauthorised activity, deliberate or otherwise. All our pipelines are monitored 24 hours a day from our control room.

Informing local communities

Elected representatives of affected communities are kept informed of pipeline issues from as early a point in the planning process as possible.

You can contact us using the details shown on the right hand side of this page.