Taking Advantage of the Unseasonably Warm Weather? Columbia Gas of Ohio Wants You to Stay Safe

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The month of October kicked off with unseasonably warm temperatures in Ohio, which means there is more time to spend outside. If you're enjoying traditional fall activities such as like football games, apple picking or bonfires, Columbia Gas of Ohio wants you to know what's below and use your senses in case you detect the presence of natural gas. 

• Smell: Do you smell rotten eggs? Columbia Gas adds a sulfur or rotten egg odor to make sure you can smell natural gas
• Sight: Do you notice bubbling water, blowing dirt or see dead vegetation over a gas line?
• Sound: Hear a hissing or whistling noise?

"If you smell, see or hear natural gas, it's an emergency," said Dave Rau, communications manager for Columbia Gas of Ohio. "We say 'Smell and Tell,' but no matter which of your senses detects natural gas, we want you to take immediate action."

If you detect natural gas inside or outside, leave the area immediately. Do not do anything that might cause a spark such as using your phone or turning lights on or off, and do not open any windows or doors to ventilate. From a safe place, call 911 and call Columbia Gas of Ohio at 1-800-344-4077.

If you report a possible natural gas leak, it's important to remain in a safe place nearby until the Columbia Gas of Ohio crew arrives, Rau said.

For more information on natural gas safety, tips to ready your home for cooler temperatures and more, visit columbiagasohio.com.

ABOUT COLUMBIA GAS OF OHIO
Columbia Gas of Ohio, headquartered in Columbus, is one of the seven energy-distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). Serving approximately 1.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers, Columbia Gas of Ohio is the largest natural gas utility in the state.

SOURCE Columbia Gas of Ohio

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http://columbiagasohio.com