Joe Paviglianiti, a pro’s pro in technical pipeline engineering for the National Energy Board (NEB), was one of 123 federal civil servants honoured with a Public Service Award of Excellence recently.
Paviglianiti works as a technical engineering leader on the Research and Innovation Team in NEB System Operations. He’s been at the NEB for 23 years and before that was employed for 14 years in pipeline construction. He is considered a national expert in pipeline safety.
“Joe’s commitment to public safety, the protection of the environment and regulatory leadership are well known within the NEB, the industry and by other regulators, nationally and internationally,” said Iain Colquhoun, NEB professional leader for engineering technical excellence, in a citation announcing Paviglianiti’s achievement. “He is highly respected for his technical and interpersonal skills and possesses the rare talent of being adept at translating complex technical issues into practical terms, both internally and externally.”
The awards, announced Sept. 12, recognize public servants who are “highly skilled, collaborative, innovative, and inspire and motivate others through their personal example of professionalism.”
Paviglianiti, a civil engineer, was reluctant to discuss individual accomplishments in a recent interview and subsequent email follow-up, saying the biggest achievement of his career was joining the NEB in the first place over two decades ago.
“It was an opportunity to make a difference,” said the Calgary resident.
“We’re shaped by the people around us and at the NEB, I work with great people who make a difference every day and all deserve this award.”
Paviglianiti works outside of the spotlight but recently his department received national attention when a CBC report detailed weaknesses in pipeline fittings that had been discovered years back. Colquhoun described how the NEB had dealt with the problem in the CBC report but for Pavigilianiti, the issue had required a series of steps from issue identification and notification of stakeholders to hosting a technical workshop and issuing safety advisories and then a white paper.
When it was suggested the scrutiny might have been uncomfortable, Paviglianiti replied, “The NEB uses fact-based information to inform our regulatory approach and decision making. We welcome scrutiny and this drives our regulatory excellence.”
“I work with a team of numerous people at the NEB who proactively promote safety and I am confident, I know for a fact, that the NEB is a leader when it comes to safety and pipeline integrity and protection of the environment around the world. I have given presentations around the world and people are always interested in how the NEB has done it,” he said.
Paviglianiti has been a long-time committee member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Canadian Standards Association, including serving as chair and member of CSA committees on oil and gas pipeline systems and materials.
He’s been an author, reviewer and presenter at various pipeline conferences, an instructor for internal and external training on CSA Standards and is the NEB’s representative on the development of ASME and ISO standards.
There is a close working relationship between the regulator and industry, Paviglianiti said, and he gets out several times a year to do inspections on jobsites.
He said the atmosphere on these visits is one of professional respect, with the pipeline companies proud to show off the strength of their systems.
“There is a culture of safety, definitely from an occupational health and safety point of view and product safety point of view,” he said.
“And also building integrity in, integrity is a life cycle approach, if you put in something that doesn’t meet the standards or the high expectations it is going to impact you later. So companies are very diligent right from the start.”
Paviglianiti was also recognized as a mentor to his younger colleagues and for his service as a volunteer on the advisory board for the Young Pipeliners Association of Canada and networking with similar organizations in the U.S. and Brazil.
“We have a unique model in Canada, a forum for young pipeliners and they are not only engineers but also economists and human resources people.”
The NEB regulates not only petroleum and gas pipelines but also others such as those conveying pulp.
“Pipelines are not going away,” said Paviglianiti.
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