Utility Safety Tips

Electric Safety

  • Do not touch downed wires; call your electric utility immediately.

  • If your electricity is not working, check your main breaker panel first. If the breaker is still on, call your electric utility and report the outage.

  • Watch for overhead electric lines when working at a home, business, or rural property. Ladders, poles, and tall machinery that come in contact with electric lines could cause serious injuries.

Electric utilities are inspected by IUB's Safety and Engineering section staff to make sure they follow IUB Safety standards.

Searching for Inspection Reports

Inspection reports and utility responses are on file in the IUB's electronic filing system (EFS). They are filed in each company's electric reports (RE) docket. To search for these documents

  • go to EFS 

  • choose 'Search' from the top menu

  • in the docket type drop-down box, choose 'RE - Reports, Electric'

  • choose the company name from the 'Participants' drop-down box

  • click the 'Add' button to show the company's RE-Docket Summary Page

  • click on the 'Documents in EFS' link to see the list of documents on file for that company

Searching for Incident Reports

Reports and responses are on file in the IUB's electronic filing system (EFS). They are filed in each company's accidents and outages (H) docket. To search for these documents

  • go to EFS 

  • choose 'Search' from the top menu

  • scroll down to 'Docket Search'

  • in the open 'Docket Search' screen choose 'H - Accident -- Outages' from the 'Docket Type' drop-down box

  • choose the company name from the 'Participants' drop-down box

  • Click the 'Add' button to add the company to the search 

  • to search for electric service incidents only, click 'Electric' in the 'Industry Type' box

  • click the 'Search' button to show the company's H-Docket Summary Page

  • click on the 'Documents in EFS' link to see the list of documents on file for that company

Electric Safety Program Contact Information:

Kevin Yearington
Safety and Engineering section
Iowa Utilities Board
iub@iub.iowa.gov

Natural Gas

If you think you smell natural gas, leave the building or area immediately and call 911 or your local gas utility. Do not use any electrical equipment or tool that might cause a spark near a possible gas leak area.

Transporting Natural Gas

Moving natural gas through pipelines is the safest method of transportation based on statistics. It is a safe product as long as it moves through a closed controlled system. Natural gas is only a potential hazard when it escapes into the environment. Pipeline failures can be caused by many things. Data from the federal Office of Pipeline Safety shows "outside force" damage is the largest single cause of all pipeline accidents. Outside force damage usually happens when people are digging near a pipeline. Other categories of pipeline damage include:

  • Construction errors

  • Material defects

  • Pipeline corrosion, both internal and external

  • Operator error (incorrect operation by operator personnel)

  • Malfunction of control systems or relief equipment

Searching for Incident Reports

Reports and responses are on file in EFS. They are filed in each company's accidents and outages (RG) docket. To search for these documents

  • go to EFS

  • choose 'Search' from the top menu

  • scroll down to 'Docket Search'

  • in the open 'Docket Search' screen choose 'H - Accident -- Outages' from the 'Docket Type' drop-down box

  • choose the company name from the 'Participants' drop-down box

  • Click the 'Add' button to add the company to the search 

  • to search for natural gas service incidents only, click 'Gas' in the 'Industry Type' box

  • click the 'Search' button to show the company's H-Docket Summary Page

  • click on the 'Documents in EFS' link to see the list of documents on file for that company

The following presentations are available upon request

Attorney General - Iowa One Call Law and Enforcement
GTI Technology Insights

Pipeline Safety

Pipeline safety is governed by Title 49, United States Code, chapter 601, Safety. This law empowers the IUB to to regulate gas pipeline safety for intrastate natural gas operators.The IUB Safety and Engineering staff enforces pipeline safety rules in federal regulation 49 CFR parts 191, 192, 193, and 199, and state regulations of 199 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 10, Intrastate Gas and Underground Gas Storage and chapter 19, Service Supplied by Gas Utilities.

Safety and Engineering staff inspect the following for compliance with pipeline safety standards: 

  • natural gas distribution system operators

  • LPG distribution system operators

  • intrastate and interstate natural gas transmission pipeline operators

The inspections ensure that gas operators comply with the federal and state pipeline safety standards.  IUB Safety and Engineering works closely with the federal U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's State Programs (PHMSA), to insure pipelines are safely operated and maintained.

Searching for Inspection Reports

Reports and responses are on file in EFS. They are filed in each company's natural gas reports (RG) docket. To search for these documents

  • go to the EFS

  • choose 'Search' from the top menu

  • in the docket type drop-down box, choose 'RG - Reports, Natural Gas'

  • choose the company name from the 'Participants' drop-down box

  • Click the 'Add' button to show the company's RG-Docket Summary Page

  • click on the 'Documents in EFS' link to see the list of documents on file for that company

Pipeline Safety Program Contact Information:

Sanel Lisinovic
Safety and Engineering section 
Iowa Utilities Board
iub@iub.iowa.gov

Underground Locate Service (Iowa One Call)

Get the location of all utility lines marked before digging by hand or with equipment. Iowa law requires a person to contact Iowa One Call at 811 or 800-292-8989 a minimum of two days (excluding Saturday, Sunday and state holidays) before digging starts. This is often the contractor doing the digging. Read Iowa Code chapter 480, Underground Facilities Information for details.

After Iowa One Call is contacted, the following happens:

  • Natural gas and power utilities, communications companies, other underground facilities, cities and towns in the area are contacted.

  • During the next 48 hours all notified utilities and companies mark lines in the area using paint or flags, or they let the excavator know the area is clear.

Iowa One Call Complaints

The Office of the Attorney General enforces the Iowa One Call law. One Call complaints are made through the Attorney General's Office.

VIDEO: View the Iowa One Call Damage Prevention video by the IUB and Iowa Attorney General's Office.

IUB One Call Law and Damage Prevention Survey

In 2021, IUB Safety and Engineering conducted a survey regarding Iowa's One Call Law. The survey was sent to excavators, operators, contractors, and other stakeholders as part of the IUB 2020 Damage Prevention Program. More than 240 people answered he 32 question survey. It helped IUB understand why people don't comply with the One Call law and gave education resources to contractors and others regarding Iowa's One Call process. See the survey results.

Other Links

Iowa Electrical Safety Code (199 Iowa Admin. Code chapter 25)
Iowa One Call
Common Ground Iowa
Call 811 (National)
PHMSA Safety Performance Listings by State
Pipeline and Informed Planned Alliance (PIPA)
National Pipeline Mapping System
Natural Gas Operators Map (PDF)
Pipeline Map - Iowa - March 1999 (PDF)
Railroad & Utility Emergency Contact Information