FAQ Topic: Safety

Each natural gas meter assembly includes a valve so the gas supply can be shut off from the outside before it enters the meter. This shut off valve is located just above the ground and before the meter. Learn more.

If a leak is suspected, from a safe place call North Alabama Gas District: 256-383-3306 (Muscle Shoals office) 256-772-0227 (Madison office) Phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

An odorant is added to natural gas to give it a very distinct “rotten egg” smell. If you smell gas or think you smell gas, hear a blowing, roaring or hissing sound, see dirt blowing into the air, notice bubbling in standing water, or witness a fire or explosion which could involve natural gas you … Continued

Natural gas is colorless, odorless, and lighter than air. It is also one of the cleanest, safest, and most affordable sources of energy for residential, commercial, and industrial use. However, natural gas is extremely flammable and can be ignited by various means including the smallest spark or flame. Any natural gas leak can be potentially … Continued

The underground facility can be damaged by any piece of equipment used for digging. Something as simple as a shovel can gouge, scrape, dent or crease the casing that surrounds a buried utility line. While this type of damage usually does not cause immediate harm, it may lead to a future break or leak as … Continued

If you don’t find out where it’s safe to dig, it’s quite possible that you could damage a buried utility and potentially create a life threatening situation. Damaging a telephone or fiber optic line may not only cause an inconvenience by losing phone service, but it could deprive the community of emergency assistance. This could … Continued

The safety zone, also known as the tolerance zone, is a strip of land the width of the utility, plus 18” on either side of the color coded markers. Alabama’s Underground Damage Prevention Act has established guidelines to avoid damage when working in the 18” tolerance zone area; Utilize non-invasive methods to determine the exact … Continued

North Alabama Gas District adds an odorant called “Mercaptan” to its natural gas so the odorless gas will have a distinctive odor similar to rotten eggs. This odor is added for safety purposes so that a natural gas leak can be detected by smell.

An appliance could produce carbon monoxide if: Boxes, laundry or other materials are blocking the base, restricting airflow. The vent hood, pipes or flues are blocked or corroded. The unit is installed or adjusted improperly. It’s used incorrectly (i.e., heating a room with a gas stove or using a gas or charcoal grill indoors). The … Continued

Any fuel-burning appliance that is not adequately vented and maintained can be a potential source of carbon monoxide, including: Gas appliances (furnaces, ranges, oven, water heaters, clothes dryers, etc.) Fireplaces, wood and coal stoves, space heaters Charcoal grills, automobile exhaust fumes, camp stoves, gas-powered lawn mowers, and power tools The most common sources of carbon … Continued