Propane Safety

Tips to keep your loved ones safe in Central and Southwestern Oklahoma

Propane has an excellent safety record. In addition to maintaining uniformly high internal standards, the industry is regulated at federal, state and local levels. Beck & Root Propane is also committed to ensuring your well-being and providing resources to keep you and your family safe.

Does propane go bad?

Propane boasts an effectively infinite shelf life. This makes it especially valuable as a fuel for standby power generators. Regardless of how long it has been stored in the tank, propane remains primed and ready for use whenever required.

Propane tank tips

It’s important to note that propane is nontoxic, posing no harm to water, soil, plants, animals or aquatic life, even in the event of a leak. To ensure that your home’s propane tank remains secure year-round, we advise clearing the surrounding area of any combustible materials. Maintain a distance of at least 10 feet between the tank and items like weeds, dry grass or other flammable objects.

Responding effectively to a propane leak

Although propane itself is odorless, producers incorporate an odorant that resembles spoiled meat, rotten eggs or skunk spray to aid in leak detection. We also recommend that you install UL-listed gas detectors near your propane appliances. While carbon monoxide detectors are essential for home safety, they do not signal a gas leak. If you suspect a propane gas leak in your home or anywhere else, please follow these steps:

1. Get everyone away from the house or affected area IMMEDIATELY.
2. Extinguish any potential sources of ignition, like cigarettes or candles.
3. Do not use phones, light switches, appliances or thermostats, which can generate a spark.
4. If you can safely do so, close the propane supply valve on your propane tank.
5. Call 911 and Beck & Root Propane once you’re a safe distance from the site of the leak.
6. Give emergency personnel and our service technicians time to check for propane leaks and perform any needed repairs.
7. Do not go back to the area of the leak or try to turn on the propane supply valve, even if you no longer smell gas.
8. Have a trained propane service technician repair the leak, carefully inspect all gas appliances and relight all pilots.
9. Only return once you have permission from emergency personnel or the service technician.

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has produced many useful propane safety videos. Feel free to watch them and reach out to the Beck & Root Propane team, if you have any questions.