Propane Safety

What to do if you smell gas

Thanks to strong regulations and high propane industry standards, propane has an impressive safety record. The Hometowne Energy delivery drivers and service technicians are trained to meet all industry, national, state and local regulations.

But you still need to know how to protect yourself if you smell gas, whether it’s in your home or someplace else that uses gas equipment.

These steps are essential for keeping people and property safe and must be taken as soon as you smell gas:

• Put out any sources of ignition, like candles or cigarettes.
• Get out of the house or area where you smell gas IMMEDIATELY.
• Don’t use any light switches, thermostats, telephones or appliances until you are safely away from where you smelled gas.
• If you can safely get to it, close the gas shutoff valve on the propane tank or cylinder.
• Call 911 and Hometowne Energy once you’re a safe distance away.
• Give emergency personnel and the propane-service technicians time to check for escaped propane gas and perform any repairs.
• Even if you no longer smell gas, keep away from the area where the leak was, and don’t try to turn on the propane supply valve.
• A trained propane-service technician needs to repair the leak, carefully inspect all gas appliances and relight all of the pilots.
• Wait until you have permission from emergency personnel or the service technician before returning.

Want more propane safety tips? The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has created the informative videos below to tell you all about propane safety!