What happens if you hit a gas pipe?
If you’re planning any groundworks – whether that’s fencing a field, laying drainage, digging foundations for a new build, or any other works – there’s one question worth asking before you break ground: do you know what’s underneath you?
Gas pipes run beneath fields, verges and gardens across Wales and the South West, often closer to the surface than people expect. Hitting one isn’t just an inconvenience; it can put lives at risk, halt a project for days, and land you with a bill you didn’t budget for.
Here’s what actually happens if a gas pipe is struck, and why checking first takes minutes rather than days.
What happens when a gas pipe is damaged
Striking a gas pipe can cause a gas leak and, in the worst cases, a fire or explosion. Even a small nick in a pipe can release gas into the surrounding ground and air, creating a serious safety risk for anyone nearby.
Depending on the size and pressure of the pipe involved, the gas emergency response can include:
- An emergency callout to make the site safe
- Evacuation of nearby homes or buildings while repairs are carried out
- Road closures or restricted access while engineers assess and fix the damage
- Hours or days of disruption to the work you were trying to get done in the first place
A real example of what’s at stake
In one recent incident, a third party damaged a WWU gas main during groundworks, cutting off gas supply to thousands of properties across a cluster of nearby towns. Over 100 engineers were deployed to site, working through the night in freezing conditions to complete the repair.
Every affected property had to be visited twice – once to safely isolate the gas supply, and again to restore it once repairs were finished – while customers on the Priority Services Register were prioritised for alternative heating and cooking support in the meantime.
It's a clear illustration of how a single dig gone wrong can affect thousands of people, not just the site where it happened – and take days, not hours, to fully resolve.
What to do if you hit a gas pipe
If you strike a gas pipe while digging, safety comes first:
- Stop work immediately. Don’t try to move or repair the pipe yourself.
- Get everyone clear of the area. If you can smell gas, move well away before making any calls.
- Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. They’ll dispatch engineers to make the site safe.
- Don’t smoke, use naked flames, or operate machinery near the site until you’re told it’s safe to do so.
- Wait for engineers to confirm it’s safe before resuming any work.
Acting quickly and calmly is what keeps everyone safe – but the far better outcome is avoiding this situation altogether.
Why checking first matters – and what it can cost if you don’t
Beyond the immediate safety risk, damaging a gas pipe carries real financial and legal consequences for whoever’s responsible:
- You’ll be liable for repair costs, which can be substantial depending on the scale of the damage.
- Professional contractors risk prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, along with unlimited fines.
- Your public liability insurance could be invalidated if it’s found that reasonable checks weren’t made beforehand.
- Projects can be delayed by days, not to mention the reputational cost of a job gone wrong.
For farmers and land workers in particular, this risk is easy to underestimate. High-pressure gas pipelines run under farmland across Wales and the South West, and they don’t always follow a road, boundary or hedge line the way you might expect. Fencing, drainage, tree planting and land development can all bring you into contact with buried infrastructure you didn’t know was there.
How to check before you dig
The good news is that checking is straightforward, free, and doesn’t need to hold up your project if you plan ahead.
- Use our free online mapping service via LineSearch (LSBUD) to get scaled plans showing the approximate location of gas mains and apparatus in your work area.
- Call our Plant Protection team on 029 2027 8912 or email dig@wwutilities.co.uk at least 10 working days before you start work.
- Keep an up-to-date copy of the plans on site – they’re only valid for 28 days from issue, and must be printed in colour.
- Use a cable and pipe-locating device on site before you dig. Plans show approximate locations only, and don’t include individual service pipes running to individual properties.
- Book a site visit if you’re working near a medium-, intermediate-, or high-pressure pipeline – our team will need to agree on a safe working method with you before you start.
Plan ahead, dig safe
Whether you're clearing a field, laying a new driveway, or breaking ground on a self-build, the message is simple: check before you dig. A few minutes spent checking beforehand can save you from a dangerous, costly, and entirely avoidable situation.