Safety guidelines and good practices for pipelines

This guidance document contains principles and key elements for the safe transport of hazardous substances by pipeline, whether transboundary or not. The guidelines and practices set out herein are designed to prevent incidents and to limit accidental consequences for human health and the environment in Europe. It should be noted that security concerns (e.g., sabotage, destructive acts) and workers’ safety are not within the scope of these guidelines; however these concerns should also be taken into account.

These guidelines were reissued in 2014 to update the references and provide a basis for their application throughout the region, following their review by the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) member countries decided to jointly develop safety guidelines and good practices for pipelines under two UNECE conventions — the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (Industrial Accidents Convention) and the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention).