SAN DIEGO, April 5, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Indonesia last December serve as reminders that it is never too soon to prepare for natural disasters, including earthquakes.
As the Southland kicks off Earthquake Safety Month, San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (SDG&E) offers these safety tips to help reduce the possibility of injuries and damage to property that may occur during the next temblor:
Before an earthquake:
-- Follow the rules contained in current plumbing codes, requiring
that water heaters be secured to the wall studs to prevent them
from moving or toppling over. The water heater should be
fastened securely to the wall studs in two places -- the upper
and lower one-third of the tank -- with heavy bolts and metal
tape. A quake may cause an unsecured water heater to move,
possibly breaking the gas connectors, which may result in a
fire. The loss of a water heater also would deprive a home of
a valuable water source that may be needed for cooking and
drinking.
-- Replace semi-rigid (aluminum or copper) gas appliance connectors
with approved connectors made of corrugated metal. These are
less likely to crack during an earthquake. Connectors and water
heater strapping are available at hardware and home improvement
stores.
-- Have a 12-inch adjustable wrench handy to manually turn off the
gas meter should it be necessary.
-- Know where all the electrical panels are located in and around
the home and how to turn the electricity off in case of
emergency.
After an earthquake:
-- Do not turn off the gas meter after an earthquake unless there is
the smell or sound of gas escaping.
-- If an appliance appears to have a leak, turning off the valve
between the appliance and gas line may stop the leak. If this
does not stop the leak, the gas should be shut off at the meter.
-- If there is the smell or sound of gas escaping, the gas should
be manually turned off at the meter. Using an adjustable
wrench, make a quarter-turn of the valve, so it is crosswise
to the pipe. This will shut off the flow of gas. (A diagram
and instructions for turning off the gas meter are printed in
the "Survival Guide" section of most telephone directory white
pages and is also available at www.sdge.com.)
-- If the gas is shut off at the meter, do not attempt to turn it
back on without the help of SDG&E or a licensed plumbing or
heating contractor. Interior gas piping and appliances must be
inspected for possible damage before service can be safely
restored.
-- Should there be a downed electrical line, do not touch the
equipment. The line may still be energized and dangerous. Call
911 and ask for the police department, fire department rescue
service or SDG&E.
-- If running an emergency electric generator during an outage, do
not connect it to another power source, such as SDG&E's power
lines. Doing so could result in death or serious injury and also
threaten any SDG&E employees working on nearby power lines.
Plugging the generator back into the electric system also can
damage appliances.
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.3 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 800,000 natural gas meters. The company's service territory encompasses 4,100 square miles in San Diego and southern Orange counties. Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region's quality of life. SDG&E is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.sdge.com.