Safety is our number 1 priority.

We have delivered safe, reliable and affordable energy to our members since 1936. Our first priority is safety for our employees, members and the general public. We believe that if we take the lead in safety, others follow.

Electrical Safety

Keep a safe distance from overhead power lines. They are not insulated, so they are placed overhead and well out of reach or underground. Call (888) 535-5732 immediately if you see a downed wire. Assume every downed power line is energized and dangerous. It is important to know that if a line is touching other objects, they could be energized as well. If you make contact with the power line or an object touching the line, it could be life threatening.

Natural Gas and Propane Safety

Natural gas and propane in their original state are odorless; we add an organic compound called Mercaptan before the gas is delivered to your home or business. The compound has a distinctive smell like rotten eggs to alert you to the presence of natural gas or propane escaping in or around your home. If you smell gas inside, get out immediately, call us at 740-344-2102 and leave the area quickly.

 

Important Safety Tips

Downed power lines are dangerous.

If you see a downed power line, always assume it is energized. Don't touch the line with your hands or any object. Shuffle slowly away, keeping your feet together and on the ground. Call 911 then call us at 1-888-535-5732 to report it. Keep children and pets away while you wait for help to arrive.

Stay inside if you can.

If a power line falls on your vehicle, STAY INSIDE the vehicle unless you MUST exit due to other safety threats. Warn people to stay away and to not touch the vehicle. Call or ask someone to dial 911, then call us.

If you must exit the vehicle in the rare event of a fire, open the vehicle door. Jump free and clear of the vehicle, allowing both feet to hit the ground at the same time. Once safely outside of the vehicle, keep both feet planted firmly on the ground until you are at a safe distance away (at least 50 feet). Do not lift your feet up until you have cleared the area. 

Use Your Senses

  1. SMELL: To help you SMELL a leak from a gas line or appliance, a familiar odor like rotten eggs is often added to natural gas and propane gas.
  2. SEE: Near a gas leak, you might SEE blowing dirt, bubbling water or an unusual area of dead vegetation.
  3. HEAR: A leaking pipeline might make a hissing sound you can HEAR.

Smell rotten eggs or suspect a gas leak?

  1. Leave the building or the area immediately.
  2. Don’t light matches, touch electrical switches, use the phone or start a motor vehicle.
  3. If you have propane, shut off your tank by turning the knob located under the blue dome clockwise.
  4. Call The Energy Cooperative 740-344-2102 from a phone that is not near the leak. Our employees are on call 24 hours a day to respond to emergencies.
  5. Call 911.
  6. Never try to extinguish a gas fire or operate any pipeline valves.
  7. Plan to meet our service person or provide access to your home to inspect your equipment and check for the source of the odor.

It's Ohio Law.

If you’re planning a landscaping or construction project around your home in the months ahead, simply call the Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS) at 811 or 1-800-362-2764 – call two business days before you start. Your call alert us and other utilities of your excavation plans, this gives us the opportunity to notify you or mark where underground utility lines are located on your property. This free service can help protect you from personal injury or property damage and prevents interruption of your natural gas and other utility service. Whether you operate heavy equipment or use handheld tools, when you work around power lines and natural gas pipelines remember to be safe!

On the job site, always be aware of electric power lines and gas pipelines. Be safe — call 811 before you dig.

Are You a Contractor?

According to Ohio law, excavators and contractors should contact OHIO811 at least 48 hours but no more than 10 working days (excluding weekends and legal holidays) before beginning any excavation project.