The Pipeline Operator's Annual Compliance Calendar

This whitepaper explains the key compliance deadlines pipeline operators need to manage each year, focusing on three main areas: OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping, PHMSA pipeline reporting, and DOT/PHMSA drug and alcohol testing requirements for covered employees. It highlights that the busiest stretch is usually January through March, when OSHA electronic reporting, OSHA Form 300A posting, PHMSA gas-side annual reports, and MIS reporting often overlap, with additional deadlines like hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide reporting in June and certain hazmat registration requirements before July 1. The paper’s main point is that HR may not complete every technical filing, but it plays a central role in keeping compliance on track by managing employee and contractor data, approval workflows, recordkeeping, worksite lists, and urgent response plans for incidents, severe injuries, post-accident testing, and business changes that can trigger regulatory notifications. Overall, it frames compliance as much less about memorizing regulations and more about assigning owners, organizing records, and building a clear calendar so deadlines do not turn into costly mistakes.