Natural Gas Safety
Natural gas is a safe, clean, and efficient source of energy to heat your home or business. The pipeline distribution system is one of the most reliable and secure methods of transporting energy. We’re always working to ensure pipeline safety. Part of our effort helps you recognize and respond to any situation that might become dangerous, such as accidental damage to a pipeline.
Learn to Recognize and React to a Natural Gas Leak
If you detect a gas leak through smell, sight (white cloud, mist or fog), or sound (hissing or whistling), follow these three steps:
- Leave the building immediately. Do not light matches, touch any electrical equipment or switches, raise or lower windows, or use your house phone or cell phone before you leave.
- Call Columbia Gas at 1-800-344-4077 from a nearby phone or your cell phone once you’re away from the building and select option 2.
- Wait from a safe location for our serviceperson to arrive before re-entering the building.
Maintenance of Customer-owned Buried Gas Lines
What is your responsibility?
Natural gas lines
Natural gas is transported from producing wells through large underground pipelines called transmission lines to regulating stations, usually near city limits. The gas then travels within cities and towns through main lines. From the main lines, natural gas is carried to your home or business through service lines, which stop at the gas meter. Only Columbia Gas of Ohio can repair hazardous leaks on gas service lines up to and including the meter. However, the property owner is responsible for repairing or replacing house lines that extend beyond the meter to the appliances in your home or business.
If buried piping isn’t maintained, it might become subject to corrosion and leakage over time. For your safety, we inspect gas lines for leakage on a regular basis. If the line is metallic, we also inspect it for corrosion. Our routine inspection covers all gas piping up to and including the meter.
In some circumstances, we are also required to test house lines and inspect gas appliances. If our inspection detects a problem in any portion of your house lines or any of your appliances, we might have to “red tag” the appliance and interrupt your service until you’ve had it repaired.
Only a qualified heating/cooling contractor or plumber should perform any inspection, installation, repair or replacement of house lines or appliances.
Call Before You Dig
Before you start any landscape or home improvement projects that require digging, be sure to call 811 or the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) at 1-800-362-2764 at least two full business days in advance to mark the approximate location of buried utility lines that might be in the construction area. It’s the law, and it’s for your safety!
Employee Identification
All of our company personnel and contractors carry photo identification and will be happy to show it upon request. If you are not sure about an employee’s identification, or to verify work to be done in or around your home, call us at 1-800-344-4077. Our employees understand if customers are uncertain and call to verify their identity. They will not make you feel pressured to let them into your home. Most Columbia employees drive clearly marked vehicles that are easy to identify.
Do not allow anyone to enter your home who claims to offer a refund from Columbia Gas. Our employees never deliver cash refunds or “rebates” to customers’ homes. All account transactions are handled through the mail, online or over the phone. Report suspicious activity to the police. If a person claiming to be a Columbia employee does not have proper identification, call the police and then call us. Be prepared to give a detailed description of the individual and the vehicle, including the license number if available.