Safety
Our highest priority is, and always will be, ensuring the safety of our employees and everyone we come into contact with – including the people we work with and the people we serve.
Safety is No. 1 value for our customers, communities and employees. We believe every customer deserves peace of mind that we'll be there to keep their homes warm, businesses running and families safe.
Smell Gas? Act Fast!
Because natural gas is colorless and odorless, we've added a chemical odorant called mercaptan that makes natural gas smell like rotten eggs. This distinctive scent allows you to smell potential leaks quickly and take steps to stay safe. If you smell that stench in the air, make sure you do the following:
What to Do First
- LOOK for discolored vegetation, blowing dirt or continued bubbling water in the area of a buried gas line
- LISTEN for a hissing sound.
- SMELL for the distinctive “rotten egg” odor of natural gas.
- LEAVE the area immediately, warning others in the area as you leave. Keep everyone away from the area until emergency assistance arrives.
- AVOID touching anything that may cause a spark. This includes lighters, matches, cigarettes, flashlights, light switches and telephones in the area of the suspected leak. Wait until you are a safe distance away before using your cell phone.
- CALL 911, then call 1.877.572.3342 once you are out of the area of the suspected leak and in a safe place. Stay away until emergency personnel indicate it is safe to
Sewer Line Safety
Be extra-careful when dealing with sewer blockages. Mistakes can lead to a rare, yet hazardous condition that could lead to potentially deadly leaks. Utilities use a trenchless technology called horizontal directional drilling (or directional boring) to pull cables, conduits, and pipes underground. This method works well for several reasons:
View Steps
- Call 811 to have utilities properly locate their underground facilities.
- Use a camera to determine if the sewer line is obstructed by a gas pipe, cable or conduit.
- Ask the resident or business owner if there has been a natural gas line or other utility recently installed or upgraded on the property.
- If you discover a natural gas pipe in a sewer line, stop all work immediately, call 1.877.572.3342 and report it as a natural gas emergency. Be sure to let the customer service representative know that you have discovered a cross bore. We will take the appropriate steps to remove the gas pipe and make the area safe.
Appliance & Equipment Safety
Protect your natural gas appliances and/or equipment from damage with these tips:
View Tips
- Have your furnace inspected by a qualified specialist according to manufacturer guidelines to ensure that it is in good working condition. Do not attempt repairs yourself unless you are qualified.
- Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper working condition.
- Keep trash and other combustible material away from your heating and water heating systems.
- Keep vents unobstructed and free of debris. Some direct-vent and high-efficiency appliances have direct side wall outdoor vents and air intakes that could become obstructed during heavy snowfalls.
- Clean air filters regularly and replace as needed.
- Ensure furnace panels and grills are in place and that the fan compartment door is closed when the furnace is on. Leaving these doors open can cause carbon monoxide to build up.
- Check to see that the furnace or boiler is free of dust, rust or corrosion.
- Never use a gas range as a space heater. Doing so can cause carbon monoxide to build-up.
- Put space heaters on a level surface and keep them away from curtains and other flammable objects.
- If you use a natural gas or kerosene space heater, be sure it is vented to the outside.
- Lower your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Call 811 Before You Dig
Homeowners and contractors alike must follow these safe digging guidelines:
View Steps
- Call Before You Dig: Before starting any outdoor digging project, customers should contact 811 at least three days in advance to request to have underground utility lines marked. Requests to have utility operators locate underground lines, including natural gas, electric, water, sewer, telephone and cable lines, can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is free.
- Allow the Required Time for Marking: After contacting 811, wait for underground utility lines to be marked before digging. Locators will mark the approximate location of buried lines with color-coded spray paint, flags or stakes corresponding to the utility. The color used for natural gas is yellow.
- Respect the Marks: Once the lines are marked, only use hand digging tools to carefully uncover the area around a utility line. When you need to dig near location markers use the appropriate digging methods and hand dig within 24 inches of the marked utility lines. This will help prevent any damage to underground utility lines.
- Excavate Carefully: Make sure the marks remain visible during the project. If the lines are damaged or removed, customers are encouraged to contact 811 to have lines remarked. Excavation work, including hand digging with a spade or shovel or plowing around a home or business is the most common cause of natural gas emergencies. If a natural gas line is damaged accidentally or the distinct odor of natural gas (rotten eggs) is present, call 911 from a safe location. Do not operate any machinery or any equipment that might cause a spark.
Weather Safety Precautions
Before the Storm
- Know the location of their natural gas meter.
- Leave your gas meter on to maintain proper pressure in the gas piping within their homes or businesses and to prevent water from entering the lines should flooding occur. Most gas appliances have safety valves that shut off the flow of gas automatically if the pilot light goes out.
- Your natural gas service should operate uninterrupted throughout the storm. Only Southern Company Gas local distribution companies or emergency personnel should turn the valve off. In cases of severe lightning, customers might want to unplug natural gas appliances to avoid possible electrical damage.
During and After the Storm
- DO NOT turn the natural gas off to your home or business, even if you are evacuated.
- If you smell natural gas, immediately leave the premises and call 911. Then call our 24-hour emergency response line, 877.572.3342.
- Avoid using any sources of ignition, such as cell phones, cigarettes, matches, flashlights, electronic devices, motorized vehicles, light switches or landline as natural gas can ignite from a spark, possibly causing a fire or explosion.
- If flooding occurs at a residence or business and the gas appliances are or have been submerged under water, do not try to operate the appliances.
- During clean up and repair after a storm avoid causing damage to the gas lines by calling 811 before digging. This also pertains to removing downed trees as they can become entangled with natural gas lines.
- After severe weather, if a natural gas meter is damaged by fallen debris or is under water or you do not have gas service, immediately report it by calling 911. Then call our 24-hour emergency response line, 877.572.3342.
Fraud Protection
Scammers will disguise themselves as Southern Company Gas employees. We will never call you and request personal or payment information over the phone. When in doubt, hang up and contact your natural gas company's customer support team directly.
Energy-Saving Tips
Your energy choices affect your bill, your comfort and the environment.
Here are a few ways to reduce your natural gas consumption:
Water Heater
- Set your water heater to 120 degrees.
- Take 5-minute showers.
- Install low-flow showerheads and faucets.
- Insulate water heater pipes.
- Turn your water heater off or down when you're away.
- Choose an ENERGY STAR water heater.
Home Heater
- Install a programmable thermostat.
- Keep your heating system tuned-up and clean.
- Upgrade your old heating equipment.
- Clean or replace your furnace filters every 1-3 months.
Weatherization
- Improve your home's insulation.
- Seal air leaks.
- Weatherstrip windows and doors.
- Block drafts of cold air.
- Close fireplace dampers when not in use.
Cooking
- Try not to preheat your oven.
- Place lids tightly on pans when cooking.
- Keep your oven and burners clean.
- Use glass or ceramic pans when cooking in your oven.
- Keep the oven door closed while baking.
- Never use the gas range for room heating.
- Cook extras and refrigerate or freeze the leftovers.
- Barbeque or grill in the summer as much as possible.
Initiatives
Operations Standards
Safety Training & Tools
24:7 Monitoring
Hi-Tech Innovations
Targeted Pipeline Replacement
Emergency Preparedness
Natural Gas Detectors
Natural gas detectors may be installed by homeowners for an additional safeguard to detect leaks.
Here is What to Know
- The natural gas detector measures the concentration of methane in the air and sounds an alarm to alert you before dangerous levels are reached.
- The methane detector works by pulling in air from the surroundings and, if it detects a dangerous level of natural gas in your home its light will flash and/or it will emit a loud noise.
- Refer to your user’s manual for the detector for specific natural gas alarm characteristics.
- Test the device regularly. Please refer to your user’s manual for testing intervals and the procedures that explain the light and sound patterns to ensure the detector and alarm functions are working properly.
- If the natural gas detector alarm sounds, respond immediately!
- Assume there’s a natural gas leak. Leave the area quickly, taking everyone with you.
- Follow the guidelines for when you smell gas - DO NOT use the telephone or any electrical appliances including light switches, garage door openers, doorbells, radios, TVs or cell phones. A spark from any of these sources could ignite the gas, causing a fire or explosion.
- DO NOT disconnect the gas detector battery to silence the alarm. A spark could cause an explosion.
- DO NOT assume someone else will report the leak.
- DO NOT go back inside your home or building until company or emergency personnel say it is safe to return.
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