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 IUC's Safety and Engineering staff to make sure they follow IUC Safety standards.
Searching for Inspection Reports
Inspection reports and utility responses are on file in the IUC'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 also available in 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 Commission
iuc@iuc.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 IUC to to regulate gas pipeline safety for intrastate natural gas operators. IUC Safety and Engineering staff enforce 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.
IUC 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. IUC Safety and Engineering works closely with the federal U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's State Programs (PHMSA), to ensure 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 Commission
iuc@iuc.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 contacting 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 may be made through the Attorney General's Office or the IUC using the One Call complaint form.
IUC One Call Law and Damage Prevention Survey
In 2021, IUC Safety and Engineering conducted surveyed excavators, operators, contractors, and other stakeholders about Iowa's One Call Law as part of the 2020 Damage Prevention Program. More than 240 people answered the 32-question survey. It helped staff 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