Putting your safety first: we have our best people on it
Public safety is our number one priority. We have rigorous plans in place to ensure the safety and security of the public, our natural gas system, the environment and our employees.
In addition, our transmission and distribution pipeline system has an excellent safety record. That’s because we carefully follow all required safety practices and our employees are dedicated in carrying out our commitment to safety.
As part of this commitment, our employees also take part in emergency response exercises throughout the year with first responders, government and other agencies.
Moreover, through our gas safety awareness programs, we continually educate landowners, excavators and the public on how to stay safe around our pipeline system and rights-of-way.
Regular inspections and maintenance
We inspect our system on an ongoing basis. We also renew and upgrade our system in accordance with Canadian codes and standards.
Comprehensive approach to safety
Our dedicated and highly trained employees work to ensure that our pipelines and surrounding areas are well-protected from potential damage.
FortisBC has an Integrity Management Plan (IMP), which is the main tool we use to ensure the integrity of our transmission and distribution systems.
The IMP is a comprehensive and systematic way to provide effective detection and remediation activities, and is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure continued public safety.
For example, we regularly and consistently:
- renew and upgrade our system
- monitor line pressures, flows and temperatures 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- conduct aerial, ground and marine inspections of the rights-of-way to check for erosion, stability and third-party activity near the pipelines
- install highly visible pipeline markers
- check our corrosion protection system
- conduct internal pipeline inspections using highly sophisticated electronic equipment
- operate a vegetation management program along our rights-of-way
- provide awareness information to the public and landowners
- practice responding to events, such as a flood, by applying our emergency response plans
- practice emergency response and recovery efforts with first responders, government and other agencies
Call before you dig
The FortisBC pipeline system is dependable and safe – it poses little risk to local residents unless it is damaged.
In fact, the best way to prevent harm to public safety and the environment is to Call Before You Dig by contacting BC One Call toll-free at 1-800-474-6886 (or *6886 from any cell phone) to find out where gas lines are buried, before digging by hand to expose them. It’s the law!
BC One Call is a free service.
BC One Call will notify FortisBC, and if your digging is planned near our intermediate pressure or transmission lines, a permit is mandatory. In these cases, we’ll also come out to locate the gas line and attend during the excavation. Any additional instructions will also be on the documents provided by BC One Call.
Your call to BC One Call minimizes the risk associated with accidents involving buried utilities and is a critical part of FortisBC’s public awareness efforts.
In case of a pipeline emergency
Natural gas is a safe and reliable energy source and we have taken safety precautions to ensure continued public safety. In addition to these precautions, we’ve developed a coordinated plan of action in case of emergency.
Smell gas? Act fast. Get out.
Anyone who thinks they smell gas, should act fast, get out of the building or the area, and call the FortisBC emergency number 1-888-663-9911 or 911 (or their local fire department) immediately.
Learn to recognize warning signs. You may be able to detect a gas leak from a pipeline by smell, sound or sight.
- Smell - as a safety feature, Mercaptan is added to gas to give it a distinctive rotten egg smell, so it's easily detected.
- Sound - you may be able to hear the hissing sound of gas leaking.
- Sight - you may be able to see vapour in the air.
If you smell gas or hear the flow of escaping gas, follow these steps immediately:
- Don't smoke, light matches, operate electrical switches, use either cell phones or land lines, or create any other source of ignition.
- Leave the building or the area immediately; leaving the door open and any windows that may already be open.
- Get to a nearby phone and call the FortisBC 24-hour Emergency Line at 1-800-663-9911, or 911 or the fire department emergency number.
Will the FortisBC system survive an earthquake?
We take the possibility of a significant earthquake very seriously.
Built entirely from high-strength welded steel and polyethylene plastic pipe, our system was designed, installed and tested to meet strict industry standards in order to maximize public safety.
In other areas where major earthquakes have occurred, natural gas delivery systems similar to ours have withstood ground movement extremely well.
Our earthquake safety page has more information on what to do before, during and after an earthquake.