By: Jared Hendricks, Marketing/Energy Conservation Manager
If you listen to the radio, read the newspaper, drive around town, or use Facebook, you have likely noticed Owatonna Public Utilities is active with messages reminding you that natural gas smells like rotten eggs and asking you to Call Before You Dig. Have you wondered why OPU advertises these messages? The answer is: For your safety.
Natural gas safety is a very important message for Owatonna Public Utilities. We are concerned for your safety as well as the safety of others who live and work in Owatonna. Federal requirements mandate that we educate our customers and contractors about ways to prevent gas leaks and recognize a leak or potentially hazardous situation. We also work closely with Emergency Response Personnel and Public Officials to keep them educated about how to respond to a natural gas incident if one should occur.
There are four main safety messages we want to educate our customers about:
Call Before You Dig – When you call Gopher State One Call before you dig, utilities are located and marked with paint and flags to help keep you safe from digging in the wrong place or damaging a natural gas line. Always hand dig with extreme care within two feet of a utility.
Gas Leak Awareness – Knowing what natural gas smells like can keep you safe by alerting you to a possible leak. Don’t forget to leave the area and report a potential leak to OPU.
Remove Ice and Snow from Your Meter – Removing ice and snow from your gas meter will keep it from being damaged. A damaged meter could leak natural gas into your home and put you and your family in danger.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness – Knowing the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure can also keep you and your family safe from this invisible, odorless gas. Some symptoms include nausea, blurred vision, and headache.
Each of these safety messages is extremely important and that is why OPU is so active in promoting them.
It is also important for OPU to measure how effectively we are getting each of these safety messages to our customers. This is done through a phone survey every three years to compare our effectiveness over time. In fact, we just completed the most recent survey at the end of April and you might recall being asked to take a couple minutes to answer a few questions relating to natural gas safety. Your answers are important for us to determine if we are reaching all of our customers.
If you have questions about natural gas safety, call our 24 Hour Hotline at 507-451-1616 or visit our natural gas Safety Page.
Remember, if you suspect a gas leak, get out of your home and call OPU from a neighbor’s house. Our 24 Hour Emergency number is 507-451-1616. You can even add the number to your cell phone to be assured you will never lose it.