“EWWWW!” That was the collective reaction of more than 200 kids when they smelled the natural gas scratch and sniff cards when I visited some of our youngest customers recently. I made the trip to summer camps for kindergarteners in Lawrence Township and West Deptford, NJ as part of PSE&G’s Natural Gas Safety Program. During the program children used the cards to identify the smell of natural gas (think rotten eggs) to help them detect a leak. The children learned what to do if they suspect a leak:
- Tell an adult
- Leave the home (without touching any light switches or appliances on the way out)
- Move at least 350 feet away
- Call 911
The children really enjoyed the gas safety house game in which they used their new gas safety tips to point out unsafe situations in a home. In addition, the children learned about utility markouts and the importance of calling 811 before digging. In fact, PSE&G may have recruited a future employee as one student got so excited he asked if he could work for us one day!
Since this program began in 2016, PSE&G representatives have visited 32 schools and spoken to nearly 5,000 kids. That’s a lot of gas safety!
It was a very rewarding day knowing that I helped arm these children with information about gas safety that they will, hopefully, remember and share with their friends and family.
To learn more about natural gas safety, visit https://nj.pseg.com/safetyandreliability/gassafety
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