National Grid
Tips of the trade | Pipeline Safety
Welcome to National Grid’s Tips of the Trade. National Grid is committed to your safety, and these tips are intended to help you work safely near our natural gas pipelines. Please review these tips with your coworkers at your tailgate or toolbox meetings before work begins.
Conduct a visual site survey for buried gas lines
You’ve completed your 811 notification, and National Grid has marked the buried gas pipelines at your job site. Before you start digging, there’s one more crucial step to avoid hitting a natural gas line: A visual site survey.
Survey the site for evidence of buried gas lines

Do not rely exclusively on the 811 locate marks. Survey the site for these visual indicators of underground gas lines that may not have been marked:
 
•   Valve boxes
•   Relief valves
•   Natural gas meters
•   Manholes or handholes
•   Permanent pipeline markers at property boundaries
•   A fresh trench, dug after the locate was completed
•   Patches in concrete or asphalt that could indicate previous utility work
Closeup of gas meter
Also check for privately owned gas lines

Ask the property owner about any privately owned gas pipelines beyond the meter. These lines exist on all types of properties and are not marked through the 811 service.

However, do not rely on a property owner’s memory or plans, as owners may not know what was installed before they purchased the property or the exact location of lines. Look for evidence of the following natural gas‑fueled equipment:
 
•   Saunas
 
•   Greenhouse heaters
•   Pizza ovens
•   Outdoor patio heaters
•   Pottery kilns
•   Pool or hot tub heaters
•   Gas generators
•   Natural gas barbecues
•   Outdoor kitchens
•   Outdoor gas lighting
•   Outdoor fireplaces or fire pits
•   Detached buildings with gas appliances
If you suspect there may be privately owned natural gas lines in your dig area, hire a private locating company to find and mark them before you start to dig.
Property with privately owned gas lines
Please help us improve our safety tips to meet your training needs. Take our two-minute survey.
Take survey
 
For more contractor safety information, visit ngridsafety.com.
To report emergencies, call 911 and National Grid immediately. Always call 911 if you suspect a gas leak!
Smell Gas. Act Fast.
811® | Know what's below. | 811 before you dig.
In case of gas emergencies:
Long Island and the Rockaways:
911 and 1‑800‑490‑0045
Metro New York:
911 and 1‑718‑643‑4050
Upstate New York:
911 and 1‑800‑892‑2345
Massachusetts:
911 and 1‑800‑233‑5325
In case of electric emergencies:
Upstate New York:
911 and 1-800-867-5222
Massachusetts:
911 and 1-800-465-1212
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