Safety Precautions

Appliance and Equipment Safety

Keep your natural gas appliances and/or equipment in good working condition by following these safety tips: 

• Keep your natural gas appliances and equipment maintained and in good working order by having them cleaned and/or inspected for safety once a year by a certified natural gas contractor/HVAC technician. Find one in your area.
• Gas appliances should have proper air circulation at all times.
• A gas flame should burn bright blue. A yellow or orange flame could indicate improper combustion or venting. Have your appliance checked by a certified contractor if you believe your system is not working properly.
• Keep flammable or combustible items away from gas appliances and equipment.
• Use natural gas equipment only for what it's designed to do. For example, you should never use a stove or oven for heating.
• Buy only natural gas equipment that has the American Gas Association Blue Star Seal of Approval, which shows that the appliance meets strict safety standards.

Pipeline Safety

At Virginia Natural Gas, our priority is the safety of our customers and our employees. We are committed to maintaining safe and reliable natural gas pipeline infrastructure that serves the needs of customers, including emergency preparedness. 

We work closely with local/regional emergency response officials located near our pipeline facilities to ensure a better understanding of the nature of our infrastructure and our emergency preparedness plans.

We have also developed a comprehensive Pipeline Integrity Management Plan. 

Contact us for more information.

For Government and Emergency Response Officials

The National Pipeline Mapping System provides a list of pipeline operators within a specific county or ZIP code, including the appropriate contact information.

The Federal Office of Pipeline Safety has developed the Pipeline Integrity Management Mapping Application (PIMMA) for use by pipeline operators and federal, state and local government officials. PIMMA is intended to be used solely by the person who is given access by the Office of Pipeline Safety.

Anyone wishing to use PIMMA should contact the Office of Pipeline Safety directly to obtain access. The Office of Pipeline Safety monitors user activity and reserves the right to remove individual access rights.

Sewer Line Safety

When dealing with a sewer blockage, there is a remote, yet potentially hazardous condition that could be created when dealing with a sewer blockage.

Directional Boring and Cross Bores

Utilities use a trenchless technology called horizontal directional drilling (or directional boring) to pull cables, conduit and pipe underground. This installation method causes minimal impact to the surrounding area and minimizes environmental disruption. It also saves time, allowing utility crews to work more efficiently. There are instances when an underground sewer line is not properly identified prior to directional boring activities and it’s possible that a natural gas pipe can be inadvertently pulled through a sewer line. The resulting condition is known as a “cross bore.” Cross bores can go unnoticed for months or even years. They are typically discovered when it becomes necessary to clear a sewer line blockage.

If a natural gas pipe has been bored through the sewer line, the gas pipeline could be damaged, resulting in a loss of service and a potentially hazardous leak condition. If you are aware of the existence of a cross bore, call Virginia Natural Gas at 877.572.3342 and report it as a natural gas emergency.