Surveyor Training - Association of Professional Pipeline Surveyors

Every energy pipeline project relies on qualified surveyors. But trained surveyors are in short supply. That's why the Association of Professional Pipeline Surveyors (APPS) has developed a curriculum for training pipeline surveyors on some of the most crucial topics and challenges they will face every day on the job.

APPS' Pipeline Surveyor Certification course provides critical information specifically for pipeline survey jobs. The course assumes participants understand the basics of land surveying and may, in fact, hold state licenses or certifications. Information and training pertains to unique pipeline survey requirements. The information is typically not formally taught and informal “day-of/on-site” instruction is not only inadequate, but potentially costly and dangerous.

APPS' certification course goals:

inform and certify more surveyors for the unique and demanding responsibilities of pipeline work; and
in doing so help pipeline operators: mitigate legal and financial exposure; assure their assets' safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance; and avoid costly endeavors such as avoidable pipeline rerouting.

Each APPS pipeline surveyor course is designed to provide continuing education credits. In order to receive the APPS Pipeline Surveyor Industry Certification, a participant must a) as a prerequisite, complete courses 101, 102, and 103 and then b) pass courses 201, 202, and 203.

Course 101

General Awareness

This course introduces surveyors and survey technicians to the unique concepts and realities of a pipeline survey job. Unlike a boundary survey, pipeline surveys have many different stakeholders, including pipeline owner/operators and often unwilling or unaware land owners. Additionally, unlike boundary surveys, pipeline survey projects have major safety hazards including heavy machinery, significant inclement weather, and necessary tools such as machetes. This course also familiarizes surveyors and survey technicians with pipeline survey data collection, Federal Pipeline & Hazardous Materials, Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulatory concepts such as “traceable, verifiable, and complete,” and the unique demands/requirements of working for pipeline owner/operator companies.

Course 102

Federal Regulations: Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

APPS’ PHMSA course emphasizes the “traceable, verifiable, and complete” data collection requirement and reviews several specific federal regulations that impact pipeline survey work. The class makes the point that although a surveyor does not need to recite federal regulations, the pipeline owner/operators who employ them do and adhere to them strictly. Therefore, the more surveyors and survey technicians understand about these requirements, the better surveyor they are and the more valuable to owner/operators they become.

Course 103

Safety

APPS’ Safety course identifies and discusses in detail the unique safety hazards and requirements on pipeline projects. Unlike most boundary surveys, all pipeline surveys present serious safety concerns, many life threatening. Therefore, pipeline owner/operators take safety seriously and demand surveyors do too. Any deviation from safety protocols is grounds for immediate termination. To prepare surveyors and survey technicians, APPS explains topics such as pre-employment and pre-work safety requirements, personal health & safety, project routing and preliminary survey safety, and construction, stake out, & as built survey safety.

Course 104

Environmental Issues

This course examines the myriad of environmental issues facing pipeline development and therefore facing pipeline surveyors. Participants will learn how to identify environmental hurdles and environmental survey and mapping basics for pipeline projects. The course will also begin to discuss FERC and NEPA pre-filing processes.

APPS course 104 may qualify for continuing education credits, but it is not a prerequisite for the APPS Pipeline Surveyor Industry Certification.

Course 105

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Environmental Reporting Under the National Environmental Policy Act

APPS NEPA course expands on Environmental Issues 104. Whereas course 104 begins to discuss FERC and NEPA filing and pre-filing requirements, this course will explain the process completely with an emphasis on surveyors’ ability to become a valuable asset in a pipeline owner/operator’s reporting process.

APPS course 105 may qualify for continuing education credits, but it is not a prerequisite for the APPS Pipeline Surveyor Industry Certification

Course 201

Pipeline Project Routing, Mapping Survey, & Survey for Design

The first of APPs’ 200 level courses is an intense and thorough discussion of pipeline surveyors’ preliminary survey requirements. Topics include, but are not limited to: project control networks, project photogrammetry, project boundary analysis for regulated and non-regulated pipelines, project mapping survey for cultural resources permitting, and data collection.

This course is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Participants are given eight to ten questions following each of the fourteen course topics. Participants must pass the course for it to apply toward his/her APPS Industry Certification.

Course 202

Construction Documents & Staking

The second of APPs’ 200 level courses continues to examine the surveyor’s roles and responsibilities as a pipeline project progresses. During this course, participants will cover among other topics, understanding and applying construction line lists, “issue for construction” (IFC) plans, “construction stakeout” (CSO) plans, IFC construction alignment sheets, and easement plotting.

This course is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Participants are given eight to ten questions following each of the course topics. Participants must pass the course for it to apply toward his/her APPS Industry Certification.

Course 203

As-Built & Post Construction Pipeline and Pipeline Infrastructure Surveys

The third and final of APPs’ 200 level courses finishes discussing the surveyor’s roles and responsibilities with an in-depth discussion of post construction and as-built survey projects. During this course, participants will address line pipe materials, fabrication facility pipe materials, and fabrication piping plan & profile drawings.