The Public Perception of Pipelines

It can be argued that pipelines are the foundation of our global economy, yet most pipelines are not in the view of the public. For this reason, pipeline failures often shape the public’s perception about the safety of the network because media coverage magnifies disastrous incidents and reinforces a negative view of the industry. Carlsbad, New Mexico; San Bruno, California; Marshall, Michigan; Ghislenghien, Belgium; and Guanabara Bay, Brazil, are examples of incidents that have been highly publicized due to environmental damage, serious injuries, and death. Furthermore, decades of compiled incident data offer the industry valuable insight into the areas which to focus research roadmaps. To people outside of the industry, the same data is easily misunderstood as reasons pipelines should be dismantled. Therefore, the role of the pipeline engineer in shaping public perception is critical. Professionals in the pipeline operations arena must communicate effectively to those inside and outside of the industry to improve the public’s perception of pipelines.