After an Earthquake: Gas Safety Checklist for Building Managers
The shaking has stopped. Your first instinct may be to get the building back to normal as quickly as possible. For gas systems, that instinct needs to be resisted. Restoring gas supply before completing a post-earthquake inspection is one of the most common causes of preventable post-earthquake fires.
This checklist is for building managers responsible for commercial or multi-unit buildings with gas supply.
Immediately after shaking stops
- Do not restore gas — if your seismic shutoff system has triggered, gas supply is already isolated. Leave it isolated until the inspection below is complete.
- Ventilate — open windows and doors. If you smell gas, evacuate immediately and call your gas network operator before re-entering.
- Do not operate electrical switches — if gas has leaked, a spark from a light switch can ignite it. If you smell gas, do not use any electrical equipment until the area is clear.
- Check the MK6 event counter — if a Solid State Seismic Shutoff is installed, note the counter reading. This confirms whether the unit triggered and provides a record for your maintenance log and insurer.
Before restoring gas supply
A qualified person — your gas fitter or building services contractor — should complete the following before gas is restored:
- Visual inspection of accessible pipework — check for displaced joints, cracked fittings, or pipework that has shifted relative to its supports
- Check appliance connections — flexible hoses on commercial appliances are a common failure point after seismic movement
- Check pressure — a pressure test confirms there are no leaks in the system before gas is restored to appliances
- Inspect the MK6 mounting — confirm the unit is still firmly fixed to its mounting point and has not been physically displaced
Do not restore gas on the basis of a visual inspection alone if there is any doubt. The cost of a leak test is far lower than the cost of a fire.
Restoring gas supply
Once the inspection is complete and the system is confirmed safe:
- Re-energise the gas shutoff valve according to your normal procedure
- Restore appliances one at a time, checking for correct operation at each step
- Log the restoration — date, time, who completed the inspection, and the MK6 counter reading before and after reset
After the event
- Update your maintenance log — record the earthquake date, the MK6 activation, and the outcome of the inspection. This supports insurance claims and demonstrates due diligence.
- Schedule a follow-up inspection — aftershocks can stress pipework that appeared undamaged immediately after the main event. A follow-up inspection 24–48 hours later is good practice after any significant earthquake.
- Test the MK6 — once normal operations are restored, confirm the unit is functioning correctly with a standard test. The six-monthly test schedule should be reset from this point.
If you don't have a seismic shutoff system
Without automatic isolation, gas continues to flow through damaged pipework until someone manually isolates the supply — potentially for minutes after the earthquake. If your building has gas supply and no seismic shutoff system in place, this is worth addressing before the next event rather than after it.
Solid State Seismic Shutoff — MK6 — product details →