National Grid Offers Sandy Rebuilding Safety Tips

As communities such as Lindenhurst continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy, National Grid offers several important safety messages that include calling New York 811 before you dig.

Many customers experienced significant damage to their homes and businesses as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

With the arrival of Spring and the rebuilding process picking up, National Grid urges customers to take safety precautions when conducting demolition work, rebuilding or excavating around natural gas facilities and underground utilities.

A phone call to NY811 (by dialing 811) could prevent serious personal injury, property damage and service interruptions caused by accidentally digging into electric, gas, telephone, water, sewer or cable facilities.

Natural gas system incidents caused by dig-ins could cause outages, natural gas leaks and other emergencies that can be prevented by taking a few precautions before digging.

NY811 serves as a single point of contact to notify National Grid and other participating utilities of planned digging. The utilities will clearly mark their buried facilities prior to the start of excavation to ensure customer safety and to prevent damage.

State law requires contacting NY811 at least two full working days, but no more than 10 working days, prior to excavation.

The service is provided free of charge.

“In the face of unprecedented damage from Hurricane Sandy we've been with our customers in the hardest communities providing assistance with plumbing inspections, heating assistance and grants for residences and businesses to help these communities get back on their feet,” said Ken Daly, president, National Grid New York.

“As warmer weather arrives and rebuilding activity in these areas increases, we remind customers to work safely and call NY811 to have underground utility facilities marked out before beginning any demolition or construction work,” he said.

National Grid also offers these safety precautions:

• If demolition is required prior to rebuilding, then your gas service will need to be turned off prior to beginning work. Customers on Long Island should call 800-930-5003.
• If you have natural gas service, then make sure the vent line on your appliances (dryer, water heater, heating equipment) is properly connected to the outside and isn't disturbed by your repair work.  
• If you have natural gas service, then protect the gas meter and service lines from falling debris. If you're not sure about how to protect the equipment, then call National Grid for assistance. In some cases this may require temporary interruption of service until the work is complete. Customers in Long Island should call 800-930-5003.
• If your appliances have been in contact with water, then please contact a licensed plumbing or heating contractor to make sure the appliances are safe to operate.
• Never permit anyone to dig near your underground energy sources.
• Don't plant trees, bushes or shrubs near a natural gas line.
• Never dig anywhere near underground natural gas lines.

Related Coverage: 

• After Sandy - Long Island Recovers
• Hurricane Sandy Long Island
• The Latest Sandy Updates

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