Tour your gas appliances: Get the whole family together for a guided tour of your home's gas-burning appliances. Teach small children to stay away from all gas-burning equipment. Remind children to keep toys, books, and games away from water heaters, furnaces, and ranges, and not to swing from gas pipes or play with flexible connector hoses.

Don't forget the gas meter.

The gas meter measures your home's gas consumption, and includes an emergency shutoff valve. Adults in your household should know how to close this valve in the event of a gas emergency in your home. The gas meter needs to be kept free of debris, snow, ice, and obstructions at all times.

Tell children what to do if they smell gas.

Instruct older children to leave the house and call your local gas utility from a nearby phone if they smell a gas leak while you're out. Remind them not to use matches, turn lights on and off, use a flashlight, or use the phone or other electrical appliances, as a spark from any of these things could ignite the gas and cause it to explode.

Teach your family about the safe operation of your gas appliances, your gas meter, and what children should do if they smell gas when home alone.

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