Safety Around Natural Gas Pipelines

Natural gas, in abundance, can be found five miles below the surface of the earth. It is colorless and odorless and does not have many emissions in comparison to other fuels. It is one of the cleanest burned fuels used and it is one of the most popular sources for energy in residential homes. Of course even if you do not have or use natural gas, there still may be pipelines that are located in your community or even where you work.

Pipeline Markers

There are pipeline markers to help to identify where the underground pipelines are. They will be found on top of where those pipelines that intersect the street, railway, or highway. While these markers can be helpful, they can only provide a very limited amount of information that is an approximate location of where the pipelines are. These markers also supply the name of the operator of the natural gas, transported products across the line, and phone number in an emergency.

Ensure Your Safety

A leading cause of the damage to these the pipelines occurs when someone fails to call and get the exact location of the pipelines before they dig underground. Any damage to these pipelines can cause leaks. So, before any activity that is excavation; be it installing landscape, tree planting, pool installing or fence building, you must call the natural gas operators and they will mark locations of your lines at no cost.

If You Suspect a Leak:

Do NOT make any type of contact with the leak or breathe it in. Don’t make any type of spark. Lighting a match, or turning on and off switches for the lights can cause a spark. If you do detect a leak; leave your home, the area, or building right away, call 911 and let the fire and police know of the leak and location.