Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 53

History of the HPI-Up to 1930
American Petroleum Institute (API)
100+ years of industry safety
Established in 1919, the American Petroleum
Institute (API) represents all segments of
the natural gas and oil industry with its nearly
600 members that produce, process and distribute
the majority of America's energy. API
was established as a standards-setting organization
to drive safety and continuous improvements
in industry operations. The Global Industry
Services (GIS) division of API sets those
standards and administers training, certifications
and safety programs around the world.
API'S ORIGINS
API's origins can be traced back to World
War I when Congress and the natural gas and
oil industry worked together to help the war
effort. The industry's supply of fuel highlighted
its importance to the country and obligation to
the public, and the American Petroleum Institute
was established as a result.
At the outset and still true today, API was
built to encourage cooperation with the government
in all matters of national concern, foster
foreign and domestic trade of American petroleum
products, promote the interests of the
petroleum industry and improve the sciences
and practices connected with the industry.
WORKING FOR COUNTRY
AND INDUSTRY
In 1969, API made its home in Washington,
D.C., to better represent the natural gas and
oil industry that today supports more than
11 million U.S. jobs and nearly 8% of the U.S.
economy. API's nearly 600 members include
large integrated companies, exploration and
production, refining, marketing, pipeline and
marine businesses, as well as service and supply
firms. The U.S. energy industry, including
API members, has consistently been at the
forefront of powering positive change. The
recent energy revolution has not only made
the United States the world's leading producer,
refiner and exporter of natural gas, but it has
also put our industry at the forefront of efforts
to lower emissions while spurring economic
growth and job creation.
SETTING THE STANDARD
To power this change, API has published
more than 700 standards to help drive operational
safety, environmental protection and
sustainability. These standards enable indusSPONSORED
CONTENT
try to manufacture superior products, provide
critical services, help ensure fairness in the
marketplace and promote the acceptance of
best practices by industry and governments
around the world.
The first API standards, published in 1924,
was developed to mitigate delays experienced
during World War I by creating uniformity in
pipe sizes, threading and coupling. Since then,
API has published standards that support all
aspects of the industry - from manufacturing
and supply to pipelines to refining and delivery
of product to end-users.
IMPROVING EFFICACY
ONE PROGRAM AT A TIME
API's standards lay the groundwork for
training, individual and product certifications,
and other safety programs. To help ensure
industry personnel are knowledgeable in
their field, API offers training courses as well
as Individual Certification Programs (ICP) that
test and certify inspectors in various industry
areas including pipelines, pressure vessels
and more. Programs like API Monogram,
APIQR and Engine Oil Licensing and Certification
System (EOLCS) help ensure that the
manufacturing of products and the products
themselves meet the requirements to keep
operations safe, reliable and sustainable.
Additionally, as part of the industry's
ongoing commitment to continuous safety
improvements, API's Process Safety Site
Assessment Program (PSSAP®) and Pipeline
Safety Management System (SMS) Assessment
evaluate a facility's process safety systems
or pipeline SMS respectively, and create
industry benchmarking to share best practices
help improve overall safety performance.
NEXT STEPS TOWARD
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
These API standards and the programs
built around them provide a framework for
industry operations, and now, API Energy
Excellence® codifies these to take a management
system approach to further accelerate
safety and environmental progress.
API members commit to 13 core elements,
from Leadership Commitment to Operational
Integrity, Management of Change and
Emergency Preparedness and Response, by
applying standards, implementing workforce
training and participating in performance initiative.
API Energy Excellence is API members'
commitment to enhancing the integrity of
operations across the industry, while meeting
global demand for adorable, reliable and
cleaner energy.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JANUARY 2022 53
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022

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