Always Ready: Know what to do in the event of a gas leak

When utilities go down, a clear response plan can be the difference between operational resilience and costly disruption.

Having a plan in place and implementing employee training allows you to respond faster and more effectively, keep your guests and work staff safer, and ensure your business recovers quickly. This is especially true in the case of a gas leak. If undetected, an invisible gas cloud could form and explode, causing grave harm. 

The National Restaurant Association’s preparedness guide, Always Ready: Utility Disruptions sponsored by Resy, offers tips and advice that operators can easily follow in case the electricity, gas, or water fails.  

This second article in a 3-part series explores what to do if your gas goes out—in the short and long term

• Make sure you and your key employees know the location of emergency shutoffs for electrical circuit breakers, gas, and water valves that control or supply your foodservice equipment.
• Be certain of which appliances require electricity, gas, and water, and make a list. Also, note the location of your circuit breaker boxes, gas shut-off valves, and water shut-off valves in the restaurant, and train your employees how to turn them off.

Signs of a gas leak include:

• The distinct odor of natural gas
• A hissing sound
• A damaged connection to a gas appliance
• Dead or dying vegetation outdoors (in an otherwise moist or green area) by or near pipelines

If you hear or smell gas, instruct all guests and employees to vacate the building immediately, leaving doors unlocked and open as you go. As you leave, warn of the following:

Do NOT…

• Light a match or lighter
• Use any type of telephone or battery-powered equipment, including cell phones
• Turn on or off any electrical equipment or light switche

How to shut off your gas
If you’ve noticed that gas has stopped flowing to a kitchen appliance, check to see if the pilot light on your water heater is also out. If you’re still getting hot water, the gas disruption is likely not affecting the whole restaurant, but only the appliances. If gas service to the entire restaurant is disrupted for any reason, know where your gasmeter is located and how to shut off your gas supply.

• As you face the meter, you’ll see a pipe running from the ground to the meter. Thereis a shut-off valve that runs parallel to it, with the pipe located about 6 to 8 inches above the ground.
• Use a 12-inch adjustable wrench (or larger) and turn the valve 1/4 turn in either direction, until the valve is crosswise to the pipe. That will shut off the gas to your establishment.
• Once you’ve established that everyone is a safe distance away from the building,call 911.
• After the disruption, you won’t be permitted to turn the gas back on. Only a gas-certified plumber or a gas company technician will be allowed to do it.

How to power your gas back up
Once the cause has been located and fixed, you can begin to take steps to turn the gas back on and reopen for business. Follow these steps once the emergency is over:

• Call the gas company for updates on return of service. A technician will need to come out and turn your service back on and relight your pilots.
• Assess and document your business losses to establish a clear financial record of the interruption.
• Prepare sales histories and pull contracts for catered events to calculate losses, document canceled or refunded events and substantiate claims for lost income.
• Assess and document any additional costs from the event. Gas leaks often create unexpected expenses, including emergency repairs, inspection and permitting fees, and cleanup costs, to name a few. Tracking these costs separately ensures you can seek reimbursement where applicable and understand the full financial scope of the incident.

Download the full Always Ready: Utility Disruptions guide here