What should I do if I hit a gas line? 1-800-dig-a-test is the number to call to find out if there is a gas line in the way of any kind of excavation or digging project. When operating heavy equipment or...
When operating heavy equipment or hand held tools while digging, be careful because there are natural gas pipelines everywhere. Every year, people are injured or killed because they accidentally hit lines overhead or underground.
Laws require anybody who is going to do any type of excavation to first call 1-800-dig-test. What the gas company does depends on the area that they are living in, but usually a person will come out and mark underground lines. When you call, they take all the information they need so they can send the proper representatives from the different utility companies to locate all the underground utilities for you, and to prevent any injuries or explosions.
"Gas companies recommend that you call at least 48 hours before you commence excavating and they should be able to get out there within the timeframe," says Ray Gonzalez, who is the manager of Safety and Regulation Compliance at Texas Gas Service in Austin, Texas. He has more than 20 years of experience in the gas industry.
According to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, striking a buried gas pipeline can cause power outages and can shock or even kill equipment operators. No construction or excavation of any kind are to be done on any pipeline easement area before the pipeline operator has established the location of all affected facilities and the limits of the easements. Facility owners want to be on site when construction or excavation activities are near the lines because of the critical nature of liquid pipelines and high-pressure natural gas.
If a gas or petroleum line is hit or damaged, then stop all digging and leave the equipment in place. Evacuate the work area and adjacent structures. Call the appropriate gas or petroleum company immediately from a safe distance and call 911 or a local fire department. Eliminate potential ignition sources, such as open flames, smoking materials, operating motor vehicles, the use of phones, radios, doorbells, electric switches, flashlights, etc. Do not try to operate any pipeline valves; just walk away.
"Now, if you still end up hitting a gas line, depending on if you are operating a back hole or you are operating a trencher or you are operating any piece of mechanical equipment, shut off the equipment and remove yourself from the site as soon as possible," says Gonzalez. "Do not try to move the piece of equipment that you were using when you hit the gas line, because that in itself would be the source of ignition."
If you hit a line and there is not an apparent leak at the location, it is still possible that there could be secondary damage away from the site, resulting in a leak. Damage to a line may not be apparent until after it is too late and a tragic incident occurs.
"We work very closely with the fire departments throughout our servicing territories, so in all of the cases, the fire department also responds to those damaged lines," says Gonzalez.
