Safety in the Gas Industry: The Buck Doesn’t Just Stop Here

Safety in the gas industry: The buck doesn’t just stop here

Published: 24 March 2025

The buck stops here, and here, and way back there.

Sometimes you get training feedback that makes everything worthwhile. Feedback that tells you that the course has delivered exactly what you’d hoped, and that delegates went home changed by your efforts. Here’s one that made us feel that way, after we delivered Materials and Equipment Certificates Training earlier this year.

In response to the question, ‘How do you hope to change your practice as a result of this training?’, we got a star quality answer that spoke volumes: “Being more aware of my responsibilities further back down the train of material specifications.”

What this person now gets, and will apply every day, is that when you work in the gas industry, no matter who you are, how senior you are, or how junior you are, the buck still stops with you.

Ultimately, the integrity of the network relies on every part of the supply chain working to international standards of quality, with every single person committed to identifying and choosing that quality. Every person, no matter how ‘small’ their role, is responsible for the choices they make, and further, has a massive impact on the final outcome.

Quality means safety

Those materials that Kev orders on a wet Wednesday afternoon are as important as the high-stake decisions that management make in the boardroom. Like Henry Ford said: “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” No one might immediately notice that Kev saved a bit on materials this month, or that he wasn’t entirely sure where the components are coming from but 'they look pretty good for the money'. But one thing is true; someone, somewhere down the line, will notice – and it could go very badly.

“How do you hope to change your practice as a result of this training? Being more aware of my responsibilities further back down the train of material specifications.”

Delegate attending our Materials and Equipment Certificates Training

That’s why we deliver so many Materials and Equipment Certification Courses for IGEM – the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers – so that every person with any role in the UK gas network knows quality when they see it.

Knowledge supports safety

Sound simple? It’s not. Several factors make this harder every day. Because the supply chain is now global, understanding the integrity of ‘suppliers’ and ‘sources of supply’ has never been more difficult, both in terms of supply resilience and procuring components that are fit for purpose. Further, because the gas network now comprises several distribution networks and a national transmission network – each with their own specifications – the need for knowledge is even greater.

We’re committed to creating a workforce that is properly equipped to interpret materials and equipment certification, and that has the confidence to challenge both poor materials and poor procurement decisions. A responsible workforce that knows there is no safety without quality. A workforce that knows the buck can stop anywhere down that long, long line.