Important Safety Information for LP Gas Customers

Dear Valued LP Gas Customer:

While LP gas (propane) is a very safe and reliable heat source, like all gas, if it leaks, it can cause injury, death, and property damage. As your LP gas provider, we take your safety seriously. Therefore, we use this information to remind you of safety procedures you must follow to ensure that you and your family are safe when using LP gas.

We mail out a Duty to Warn along with a brochure entitled "Important Propane Safety Information" that includes a scratch 'n' sniff component once a year, it is important for you and your family to read this information. Keep it nearby and periodically reread it. Failure to follow the safety precautions in this communication could result in a gas explosion and fire or death by asphyxiation from carbon monoxide produced from appliances which are not operating or vented properly. We can provide extra copies of the brochure at your request.

Below are several precautions that we want to highlight:
 

LP gas can cause injury, death, or property damage if it leaks and ignites. To prevent this, do the following:

• Learn what LP gas smells like. Everyone in your family should scratch and sniff the blue circle in the mentioned brochure. 
• Buy, install, and maintain at least one LP gas detector per manufacturer's instructions, which is designed to alarm when gas is leaked. This is because there are some situations where you may not be able to smell LP gas. If the alarm goes off, take the same precautions as if you smell gas.

Exposure to Carbon Monoxide (CO) can cause injury or death. To prevent this, do the following:

• Buy, install, and maintain a Carbon Monoxide detector per manufacturer's instructions, which is designed to alarm when CO is detected. This is because you typically cannot taste or smell CO which is produced from appliances that are not operating properly.
• Everyone in your home should be aware of the symptoms of CO, including headache, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and nausea.
• If you or a family member shows physical symptoms of CO poisoning, get everyone out of the building and call 911 or your local fire department.
• Do not try to repair, modify, or alter your propane piping system or connected appliances. Only allow qualified personnel to work on it.
• Do NOT attempt to relight any pilot lights. If a pilot light has gone out, there may be a safety problem. Call your propane retailer to relight all pilots or contact a qualified service technician to perform service or maintenance on your propane appliances.
• AVOID RUNNING OUT OF GAS. Safety hazards including fire or explosion can result.

If you have run out of LP gas or your service has been interrupted, call us immediately at (217) 452-7751 so that we can come out and inspect your gas piping and check for leaks. Arrangements then can be made to relight the pilot lights by a qualified technician. 

If you have run out of gas, you need to do the following:

• Close the service valve on your LP gas tank. 
• Shut off all gas valves for appliances that use LP gas.

In addition, you can learn more about safety precautions that need to be taken for safe use of LP gas in your home or business at https://propane.com/safety/. This website contains a link to a product safety brochure and a product safety manual with extensive information on propane safety.

If you Smell Propane, Suspect a Leak, or an Alarm Sounds:
 

• IMMEDIATELY evacuate the structure or area to a safe distance.
• Extinguish all smoking materials and open flames or sources of ignition.
• Do NOT operate any electric switches, thermostats, or appliances.
• Do NOT use your house telephone. (If you are now using your house telephone, set it down (do NOT hang up), exit the structure and call us from another telephone from a safe area.
• Do NOT attempt repairs. 
• Once everyone is outside and if it is safe to do so, you should turn off the shutoff valve(s) on the propane supply container(s), or at the meter.

• Do NOT allow anyone except qualified gas professionals or emergency response personnel to enter the building until a complete inspection has determined if there is a gas leak, and if so, that the building has been properly ventilated, and that the leak is repaired.
• Have a qualified LP gas technician test the piping system and repair any leaks, then check and relight all of your gas appliances.

Know the "Odor" of Propane:

• Each family member should know the smell of propane. (A disagreeable odor has been added to propane so you can detect propane's presence.)
• Ask your propane delivery driver or other company representative to demonstrate its odor.
• Under some of the following conditions, you may not smell a gas leak - so it is recommended you buy, install, and maintain at least one propane gas detector in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
• Some individuals' sense of smell may be impaired and are unable to detect the smell of gas.
• Colds, allergies, sinus congestion, and the use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs may diminish your sense of smell.
• Cooking odors or other strong odors can cover up the smell of gas.
• On rare occasions, propane gas may lose its distinctive odor. This is called "odor fade." Air, water, and rust in propane tanks or cylinders may weaken the gas odor especially if the valves are left open after the container has been emptied.

Remember:

• Call a qualified technician to test your propane piping system for leaks and relight pilots when your propane service has been interrupted.
• Repeated pilot outages could indicate a hazardous condition. Call a qualified technician to check the appliance.
• Propane is heavier than air and can collect initially at floor level. To check for propane, carefully smell all over the room, especially in low spaces.
• Always be sensitive to the slightest gas odor. Any type of gas odor may signal a serious propane gas leak.
• If a propane gas detector has sounded an alarm, IMMEDIATELY follow the steps above for "What to do if an Alarm Sounds."
• Always have a qualified technician investigate all foul odors. What you think may be garbage, sewage, or a dead mouse may be a serious propane leak.
• Do NOT let your propane system run out of propane.