- Last Updated on Monday, 01 April 2013 01:54
By Paul Chasko
If one important safety message were taken home from a recent safety seminar held at the March NNCW meeting by Columbia Gas, it would be “Call 811 before you dig”.
If one important safety message were taken home from a recent safety seminar held at the March NNCW meeting by Columbia Gas, it would be “Call 811 before you dig”.
 (l to r) Brynnly Mazzi (Columbia Gas), Linda Evans-Boren (NNCW President), John Bentley (Columbia Gas) and Gene Bender (NNCW Secretary/Treasurer) prep for the presentation.
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We learned that Columbia gas is a subsidiary of NiSource Corp. that provides energy to a market stretching from the gulf coast through the Midwest up into the northeast. Columbia gas delivers natural gas through its pipeline networks throughout western Pennsylvania and a small part of Virginia and West Virginia.
We’re all aware that natural gas is highly combustible and in the right combinations with air can erupt in horrific explosions if ignited. We also learned that the number 1 cause of natural gas emergencies is third party damage (pipeline breaks when digging in a pipeline right-of-way). Columbia urges to “Know What’s Below” by calling 811 before you dig. This goes to any digging from a post hole for a mailbox to a big construction excavation. Anyone planning to excavate is required by law to call the PA One Call System at 811, before work begins. Columbia Gas workers willl show up to mark the approximate location of all underground natural gas lines.
They also gave us these tips For gas odor (a sulfur-like smell) in the home:
• Do: Evacuate the house immediately
• Do: Call 911 and the Columbia Gas emergency line: 1-888-460-4332 after you’re out of the house.
• Don’t: Operate light switches, doorbells or other electrical devices.
• Don’t: Try to ventilate the house – just get out and leave that to the emergency responders.
• Don’t: Try to turn off your gas valve – the emergency responders will do that.
