CALGARY — Human error — whether it’s burying a pipeline too shallow or not fastening bolts tight enough– is increasingly a factor contributing to pipeline leaks, federal data suggests.

Figures compiled by the National Energy Board show that in the past three years, incorrect operation — which covers everything from failing to follow procedures to using equipment improperly — has caused an average of 20 leaks per year. That’s up from an average of four annually in the previous six years.

“It’s both probably one of the most difficult things for an organization to deal with, but also the most important,” said Mark Fleming, a professor of safety culture at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

Source: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/human-error-increasingly-a-factor-in-pipeline-leaks-data-1.3261929