Be a better pipeline engineer – ask the question!

by: Ted Metcalfe

We learn new information in many ways, and for many different reasons. Even when we are not trying to learn, or don’t think we need to learn, we seem to gather valuable information.

For some people, lessons are really only learned if they are learned the hard way, from the bitter experience of having done something wrong with unexpected (sometimes embarrassing, painful or expensive) consequences.

It’s a lot easier to learn by asking questions.

In the Introduction of Part 0, it is acknowledged that AS2885 sets out specific requirements in some areas, but notes that these do not replace the need for appropriate experience and engineering judgement.

In Clause 1.5.7 of AS2885 Part 0, competence is defined as having an appropriate combination of knowledge, skills and experience to safely and effectively perform the task required as requirements for users of AS2885.

Users of AS2885 are required to apply engineering judgement.

It can be said that engineering judgement requires a combination of both knowledge and the confidence to make decisions, where:

– Knowledge is the accumulation of relevant factual material, and

– Confidence is the self-courage required to interpret both the relevant circumstances being considered and the application of the Standard to those circumstances, and to make decisions on that basis.

Experienced engineers have learned that one of the easiest and most important ways to learn is to simply ask questions, and for pipeline engineers, that’s one of the main reasons that the AS2885.info wiki was created.

We’re here to help you learn, and we look forward to having users of our Standard ask questions.