Gas Emergencies

If you smell gas:

1. If indoors, leave your home/building immediately!

• Do NOT turn on or off lights
• Do NOT make calls from your telephone land line or you cell phone while at home.
• Do NOT cause a spark.
• Leave windows and doors open while exiting, to allow gas to vent outside.
• Go to Step 3.

2. If outdoors, move away from the area. 

3. Call 9-1-1 and your natural gas utility (if you know the number) from a safe distance, away from the odor.

• Information on How to Recognize Where a Pipeline Is

4. Gas Company service personnel will be dispatched immediately.

5. Wait for the Gas Company service personnel or emergency services personnel to tell you it's safe to return to your home/building.

Roles During an Emergency

The Pipeline Safety Division at the PA PUC does not have an active role in responding to pipeline emergencies. Local emergency departments generally take the lead with support from natural gas operators. In some cases the Pipeline Safety Division will be will be on-site after an emergency, and will be responsible for investigating the failure.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) may also assist with the investigation. Federal agencies will only get involved in certain instances – such as a large incident. At that time, the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administrations (PHMSA) or the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) may choose to investigate.

Preparedness Requirements

Gas pipeline operators are required to have emergency response plans under federal law
(49 C.F.R. § 192.615), which are reviewed during inspections conducted by the Pipeline Safety Division of the PA PUC and are also provided to local emergency responders. These plans must include information about how the operator will respond to various emergencies, including personnel and equipment available, shutdown procedures, notification of fire, police and other public officials, and service restoration.

The PA PUC has a safety requirement that each public utility shall at all times use every reasonable effort to properly warn and protect the public from danger and this can be found under 52 Pa. Code § 59.33. Minimum safety standards.