Residential Gas Explosions
Gas explosions are often silent threats until they become catastrophic events. These explosions are extremely dangerous and can cause serious injury or death, millions of dollars in damage, and evacuations. Some of these accidents are preventable, so it is important to follow proper safety protocols and have gas lines and appliances inspected regularly to keep you and your loved ones safe.
Types of Gas Explosions
Several types of gas explosions can occur, including:
- Natural Gas Explosions – occurs when natural gas which is highly combustible, leaks from a gas line or appliance and comes into contact with an ignition source.
- Pipeline Explosions – occurs when a pipeline that carries gas is affected by corrosion, damage, or other factors that results in a release and explosion of gas.
- Industrial Explosions – occurs in factories and processing plants where combustible materials such as gas, chemicals, or dusts are present.
- Propane Explosions – occurs when a propane tank leaks or is mishandled. Propane is a flammable gas that is commonly used for heating, cooking, and fueling vehicles.
- Vehicle Gas Explosions – occurs when car accidents or other incidents cause fuel spills or leaks of gasoline and diesel fuel which are highly flammable.
Home Gas Explosions
Houses aren’t supposed to explode, but they can for a variety of reasons. Common causes of home explosions involve the following:
- Gas Leaks: gas leaks can occur in appliances, pipelines, or service lines. When gas accumulates and ignites, it can cause an explosion.
- Chemical Explosions: reactions in chemicals like cleaning solutions, fuels, and propane tanks can cause severe explosions.
- Improper Installation: gas appliances that are not properly installed can cause a variety of hazardous problems.
- Gas leaks: Gas installed incorrectly can cause the appliance to leak large amounts of gas into the home, resulting in a fire or explosion.
- Carbon Monoxide poisoning: Venting systems installed incorrectly can allow carbon monoxide to leak back into the house that could result in carbon monoxide poisoning and serious health risks.
- Fire hazards: Gas appliances installed incorrectly or improperly wired can be a fire hazard.
- Disruptions in services: Gas lines installed incorrectly can cause disruptions in service or other issues with your home’s utilities and infrastructure.
- Damage to your home: Improper installation of gas appliances could result in damage to your home that could be expensive to repair.
- Improper gas supply: Appliances could operate inefficiently or not at all.
- Damage to appliances: Damage that occurs during shipping or installation could result in the appliances being unusable.
- Electrical shocks: This can happen when a gas appliance is not properly grounded.
- Electrical Malfunctions: electrical fires or malfunctions can cause gas and other flammable materials to ignite and explode.
- Improper Storage: flammable materials such as gasoline, propane tanks, or other chemicals stored in the home can cause dangerous explosions if they are ignited.
- Natural Disasters: natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes can cause gas leaks, fires, and explosions.
- Fracking or hydraulic fracturing: high-pressure fracturing can lead to release of gas.
- Improper Maintenance: gas explosions can occur when natural gas companies like Columbia Gas of Ohio, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, and Vectren Energy do not maintain the line.
The American Gas Association represents the distribution companies that are responsible for delivering gas to our homes.
Gas Explosion Prevention
With the risk of gas explosions causing serious injury, your safety and the safety of your loved ones is of utmost importance. Here are some best practices for properly maintaining gas lines in your home and preventing catastrophic explosions:
- Get an annual inspection and leak survey.
- Have your gas pipelines, appliances, and meter thoroughly inspected by a professional. This can consist of an odor test, proper valve operation, above and below ground piping inspection, leak surveying, gas system mapping, and line location. An annual leak survey is recommended for natural gas distribution systems that qualify as a “Master Meter” according to the PHMSA.
- You can even check for leaks yourself by using a soap and water solution around your gas appliances, service lines, gas meter, and any other gas connections in your home.
- Test, maintain, and repair your gas piping when necessary.
- Have appliances installed professionally.
- It is important to have gas appliances safely installed by a licensed professional or qualified technician to avoid the hazardous problems caused by improper installation.
- When hiring a professional to install a gas appliance, get multiple quotes, ask for references that can speak to the quality of the contractor’s work, check the contractor’s license, verify they are qualified to install gas appliances, and be sure to get everything in writing in case there are issues with the installation.
- Practice proper ventilation.
- There should be appropriate ventilation around gas appliances and equipment to allow for a safe release of gas.
- Follow manufacturer’s instructions.
- When using and maintaining gas appliances, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines.
- Use caution with flammable materials.
- Follow safe electrical practices.
- Call before you dig.
- You should know what is below you before digging or using lawn equipment. It is important to know where natural gas lines are on and around your property. Contact Ohio 811 to mark any underground gas lines. It is a free service for homeowners and part of Ohio law.
- Be prepared and have functioning smoke detectors.
- Have a plan in place in case of a gas leak or other gas-related emergency. You should know how to turn off the gas supply and be prepared to evacuate the area if necessary.
Four Signs of a Natural Gas Leak
- There is a strong smell of gas (sulfur-like smell, often described as a “rotten egg” smell)
- There are dead plants in the area of a gas line
- You hear a hissing or roaring sound
- You see a white cloud or dust cloud, bubbling water, or blowing dirt near a gas line
What To Do If You Detect Gas
Stop what you are doing
Do not smoke or light a match. Do not open any windows. Do not use anything that could cause a spark like a phone, light switch, appliance, or flashlight. Do not start your car or use your garage door to leave.
Leave the area immediately
If you are inside, get out immediately. If you are outside, leave the area immediately.
Call 911 and the emergency line for your gas company
Call from a safe place and distance from your home or the area and wait for crews to arrive
Reporting Gas-Related Incidents
3 million miles of pipelines supply our natural gas across the nation. However, this critical infrastructure comes with significant risks. When it comes to reporting, federal law does not require immediate disclosure of leaks to consumers or residents. Only certain leaks and incidents must be reported to the federal government. A study by the American Chemical Society estimated there are 630,000 natural gas leaks every year, just including the local distribution systems. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requires utilities to report gas-related incidents when they result in one or more of the following:
- Deaths
- Injuries
- Hospitalization
- Property damage totaling more than $122,000
Urgency of Contacting an Ohio Gas Explosion Lawyer
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a gas explosion, it is very urgent to contact an attorney because you have very little time to investigate the root cause of the explosion. For example, your homeowner’s insurance company could attempt to process the scene first with the wrong expert. Contacting an experienced attorney at Tittle & Perlmuter can help get you the compensation you need to recover or move forward, but it is also very important to make sure the right experts get to the scene as soon as possible. Gas explosions are very dangerous and catastrophic. Call our explosion attorneys to take immediate action and be guided through the entire process: 216-285-9991.
