sAFETY VIDEOS

Your safety is of the highest priority to us. Please read all safety information provided to you and if you have any questions do not hesitate to give us a call. 

Propane is a safe, reliable fuel. Each year, however, accidents occur because this energy source is not handled properly and with respect. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Your safety is important to us and we strive to inform our customers of the importance of propane safety.

If you are a propane user, the following information is VERY IMPORTANT. The Brochure "PROPANE SAFETY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY" is available at our office (provided by the Propane Education and Research Council) is sent by mail to all of our active customers. 

This informational pamphlet helps you answer the following questions: Can your family recognize the odor of propane gas? What should you do if you smell gas? How can someone recognize the presence of Carbon Monoxide?        

1. NO FLAMES OR SPARKS!  Immediately put out all smoking materials and other open flames. Do not operate lights, appliances, telephones, or cell phones.  Flames or sparks from these sources and trigger and explosion or a fire.
2. LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY! Get everyone out of the building or area where you suspect gas is leaking.
3. SHUT OFF THE GAS AT THE TANK.   Turn off the main gas supply valve on your propane tank, if it is safe to do so.  To close the valve, turn it to the right (clockwise.)
4. REPORT THE LEAK.  Once you are safely away from the gas leak, call your propane retailer right away. Call T-J Gas at 319-472-5216 or 319-560-9720, if you cannot reach us, call 911 or your local fire department.
5. DO NOT RETURN TO THE BUILDING OR AREA. until your propane retailer, emergency responder. or qualified professional determines that it is safe to do so.
6. GET YOUR PROPANE SYSTEM CHECKED. Before you attempt to use any of your propane appliances, your propane retailer or a qualified professional must check your entire propane system to ensure that it is leak-free.

Propane has a foul odor that has been compared to garbage, sewage, a skunk's spray or a dead animal.

Some people may have difficulty smelling propane.  Causes may include:

• Age (older people may have a less sensitive sense of smell)
• The effects of medication
• Medical conditions such as colds, allergies, or sinus congestion
• Alcohol, tobacco or drugs
• Tobacco smoke, cooking odors, musty or damp smells, and other strong odors

The propane smell may not wake someone who is sleeping.  It may also be in an area of the building where it may not be detected, such as a basement, an attic, or garage.  

ODOR LOSS is an unintended reduction in the concentration of the odor of propane, making it more difficult to smell.  Situations that can cause odor loss include the presence of air, water, or rust in a propane tank or cylinder, or the passage of leaking propane through the soil.  

Continued exposure to odorized gas can cause an individual to "get used" to the odor and fail to detect its continuing presence.

The strength of the odor is not a reliable indicator of the amount of gas present.  Propane is heavier than air. Therefore, floor level leaks of propane may not be detected at nose level. If a leak is suspected, an effort should be make to smell the propane at floor level.  You should respond immediately to even a faint odor of gas.        

Under some circumstances, you might not smell a gas leak.  Propane gas detectors are designed to sound an alarm if they sense propane, even if the odorant cannot be detected.  it is recommended that you consider installing one or more gas detectors listed by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in in your home.  Detectors can provide an extra measure of safety. 

Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding use.  If a detector is sounding an alarm, treat it as an emergency and act immediately, even if you do not smell propane.  Never ignore the smell of propane, even if no detector is sounding an alarm

What is Carbon Monoxide (CO)?

You cannot taste or smell carbon monoxide, but it is a very dangerous gas, produced when any fuel burns.  High levels of carbon monoxide can come from appliances that are not operating correctly, or freom a venting system or chimney that becomes blocked.

IF YOU SUSPECT CARBON MONOXIDE IS PRESENT, ACT IMMEDIATELY!

1. If you or a family member shows symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, get everyone out of the building and call 911 or your local fire department.
2. If it is safe to do so, open windows to allow entry of fresh air, and turn off any appliances you suspect may be releasing carbon monoxide.
3. If no one has physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, but you suspect that carbon  monoxide is present, call your propane retailer or qualified professional to check carbon monoxide levels and your propane equipment. 

TO HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF CARBON MONOXIDE  POISONING:

• Have a qualified professional check your propane appliances and related venting systems annually, preferably before the heating season begins.
• It is recommended that you consider installing carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home.  Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding use.
• Never use a gas oven or range-top burners to provide heating.
• Never use portable heaters indoors unless they are designed and approved for indoor use.
• Never use a barbecue grill (propane or charcoal) indoors for cooking or heating.
• Regularly check your appliance exhaust vents for blockage.

High levels of carbon monoxide can make you dizzy or sick.  In extreme cases, it can cause brain damage or death. 

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea

Signs of improper appliance operation that can generate high carbon monoxide levels:

• Sooting, especially on appliances and vents
• Unfamiliar or burning odor
• Increased moisture inside of windows
• Yellow flames

If a pilot light repeatedly goes out or is difficult to light, there may be a safety problem.  DO NOT try to fix the problem yourself.

You are taking the risk of staring a fire or an explosion if you attempt to light a pilot light yourself.  It is strongly recommended  that only a qualified professional light any pilot light that has gone out. 

LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS.  Only a qualified professional has the training to install, inspect, service maintain, and repair your appliances.  Have your appliance inspected just before the start of each heating season. 

HELP YOUR APPLIANCES "BREATHE." Check the vents of your appliances to be sure that flue gases can flow easily to the outdoors:  Clear away any insect or bird nests or other debris.  Also, clear the area around your appliances so plenty of air can reach the burner for proper combustion.

DO NO TRY TO INSTALL, MODIFY, OR REPAIR valves, regulators, connectors, controls, or other appliance and cylinder/tank parts.  Doing so creates the risk of a gas leak that result in property damage, serious injury, or death. 

HAVE OLDER APPLIANCE CONNECTORS INSPECTED. certain older appliance connectors may crack or break, causing a gas leak. If you have an older appliance, have a qualified professional inspect the connector.  Do not do this yourself, as movement of the appliance might damage the connector and cause a leak.

FLAMMABLE VAPORS ARE A SAFETY HAZARD. A pilot light on your propane appliance can ignite vapors from gasoline, paint thinners, and other flammable liquids.  Be sure to store and use flammable liquids outdoors or in an area of the building containing no propane appliances.

DO NOT RISK IT! If you cannot operate any part of your propane system, or if you think an appliance or other device is not working properly, call your propane retailer or a qualified professional for assistance.

Gas can leak through an open gas line.  if you disconnect an appliance from a gas line, be sure to contact your propane retailer or a qualified professional to close, cap, or plug  the open gas line.

DO NOT RUN OUT OF GAS. SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARDS, INCLUDING FIRE OR EXPLOSION, CAN RESULT. 

If your propane tank runs out of gas, any pilot lights on your appliances will go out.  This can be extremely dangerous. 

A LEAK CHECK IS REQUIRED Several cases of out-of-gas situations have been known to precede propane accidents and injuries. What may seem like an obvious out-of-gas situation due to an empty tank may actually have been caused by an undetected leak. Controlling out-of-gas situations is important in order to provide a safer environment for our customers and our employees. Therefore, it is the policy of T-J Gas that a qualified T-J Gas employee conduct a leak check and re-light all pilot lights for the customer whenever they respond to an out-of-gas service call.

NEVER turn the gas on at your propane tank.  Contact your propane retailer or a qualified professional the check for leaks, turn on the gas, and re-light pilot lights on the appliances.

Leak check and pilot lighting service is required and provided to all new customers. (By definition, a “new” customer may include a change in tenancy in a residential building even though T-J Gas was the supplier for the previous tenant.) A leak check must be performed on all propane delivery systems that have experience an out-of-gas situation or an interruption of service. A leak check must also be performed on all new installations, new customers moving into an existing residence or a residence that have been previously served by another company, and any change in tenancy.

Iowa One Call: Dial 811 www.iowaonecall.com 

It is important when doing any excavation, to check and mark underground utilities. Contact One Call to locate your other utilities, and T-J Gas, 48 hours prior, since One Call will not contact T-J Gas to locate your propane line. 

T-J Gas will not trench or dig unless underground utility locate(s) have been done. Other private underground services (not covered by 811) include private water, septic, private data/phone or private electrical lines. These may not be covered by one call. You must inform T-J Gas of these utility locations.

It is your responsibility to contact T-J Gas (319) 472-5216 before your dig.