Little General Store Propane Explosion - US Chemical Safety and ...

Little General Store September 2008
4.4 Propane Emergency Guidance
4.4.1 Guidance for Consumers
Propane companies (including Ferrellgas and Thompson), NPGA, and PERC distribute literature and
publish information on their websites guiding consumers on actions to take during propane emergencies
such as leaks and releases. If consumers detect a propane leak, this guidance recommends that they:
• Extinguish smoking materials and discontinue the use of lights, appliances, phones, or any electrical or
spark producing device.
• Evacuate the area or building immediately.
• If possible, turn off the gas supply at the tank or cylinder.
• Go to a neighbor’s house and call the propane company or 911.
• Stay out of the area or building where the leak was detected.
4.4.2 Guidance for Emergency Responders
Propane Emergencies, published for the NPGA and PERC, is the primary text for training emergency
responders to handle propane emergencies. The textbook outlines a process wherein the IC should
perform a series of actions prior to attempting remediation of the propane emergency. The first step the
textbook specifies is site control; it states that the IC must keep all responders and members of the public
clear of the hazard until the scene and the hazard are fully understood.
The US DOT Emergency Response Guidebook recommends an immediate evacuation to at least 330 feet
in all directions and ½-mile downwind for large spills. Responders are cautioned to keep all members of
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