Smell gas at home? What to do right now

Immediate actions before any investigation

A suspected gas escape is not a fault to troubleshoot from inside the house. Leave by a safe route and encourage other people to move away with you. Do not delay to locate the source, photograph a meter or collect possessions. If you cannot safely reach someone, tell emergency services where that person may be. Do not return into the affected area to retrieve a phone or to see whether the smell has faded.

WorkSafe warns against operating electrical switches when a gas leak is suspected because switching can produce a spark. Do not turn lights on or off, use an extractor fan, unplug equipment or operate a garage door motor in the affected area. Keep cigarettes, lighters and other flames away. WorkSafe also says not to use a mobile phone in the area. Make calls only after moving to a remote safe place away from the suspected escape.

1. Leave the affected building or area immediately by a safe route.
2. Do not use electrical switches, flames, appliances or phones in the affected area.
3. From a remote safe place, call 111 for an emergency and explain that you suspect a gas leak.
4. Contact the gas retailer about supply concerns and a licensed gasfitter about installation or appliance concerns, following emergency instructions.
5. Stay away and do not restore supply or restart appliances until the responsible professionals say it is safe.

What to say when calling from safety

For an emergency, dial 111 from the remote safe place and explain the suspected gas escape first. Give the property address, where the smell was noticed and whether anyone is still inside or unwell. Follow the call handler’s instructions. Do not go back to improve the description or find a serial number. WorkSafe is the regulator, not an emergency response service, so reporting a dangerous situation to WorkSafe does not replace contacting emergency services.

When the immediate emergency has been addressed, your gas retailer is the contact for the gas supply. WorkSafe distinguishes this from an installation or appliance concern, for which a licensed gas worker should be contacted immediately. If you do not know which side the fault is on, say so rather than trying to prove it yourself. Describe whether you use reticulated gas or LPG if you already know, but do not approach a cylinder or meter to check during a suspected escape.

Why switches and improvised tests are unsafe

A smell gives you a reason to act, not a reliable map of where gas has accumulated. The room where you notice it may not be where the problem began. Do not use a flame to check a connection, deliberately run an appliance or operate a fan to see whether the smell clears. An absence of visible damage is not a safety clearance. Keep others away from the affected area rather than asking them to come inside and confirm the smell.

Do not rely on a household alarm or your sense of smell to decide that reentry is safe. Equally, do not treat a brief smell as harmless merely because it disappears before someone arrives. Tell the responder what happened and how long it lasted. If anyone feels unwell, explain that during the emergency call. The practical aim is to get people to safety and have the situation assessed, not to diagnose the gas or appliance condition from symptoms.

Isolation and ventilation must never delay leaving

WorkSafe’s gas leak guidance lists closing appliance valves, shutting off gas at the meter or LPG cylinder and opening doors and windows. Those actions must not become a reason to remain in danger. This guide puts immediate evacuation first. Do not approach the suspected source, cross an affected room or return inside to close a valve or open windows. Ask the emergency responder or supplier for instructions from your remote safe location instead.

If a responsible responder asks about an isolation point, explain what you already know without moving towards it. Do not force a stiff cylinder valve, use tools on unfamiliar fittings or disconnect a regulator. Closing a supply does not itself prove that an area is safe to enter or that the installation is fit to restart. Leave restoration to the appropriate professionals and follow any exclusion area or access instructions they give you.

When to call a licensed gasfitter after evacuation

For a suspected installation or appliance leak, arrange gas leak repairs once emergency arrangements are in place. Explain that it is a suspected escape, not a routine appliance service. The gasfitter needs to know what you noticed, which appliances were operating if that is already known, and whether emergency services or the supplier have isolated anything. Do not reopen a valve to demonstrate the fault. Ask to see the appropriate current practising licence before work begins.

General gasfitting assistance concerns the installation and connected equipment, while the retailer remains the supply contact. If the affected appliance provides hot water, gas hot water support may be needed after the immediate safety issue is resolved. Our gas certification guide explains the paperwork to discuss for applicable work. None of these service arrangements replaces 111 during an emergency, and no booking confirmation should be taken as permission to stay in or reenter a dangerous area.

Keep the household clear until the next safe decision

From safety, tell other occupants not to return and prevent visitors from unknowingly entering the affected space. Do not start a vehicle near a suspected outdoor escape. WorkSafe’s outdoor guidance specifically keeps vehicles and electrical equipment away, alongside flames and cigarettes. If the smell was outside rather than indoors, move away from the area and contact the appropriate help remotely. Do not inspect pits, crawl spaces or low areas in an attempt to trace it.

After the incident, ask who is responsible for each remaining action and who will authorise restoration. Keep any isolation notices, attendance information and repair records. In a rental property, inform the landlord or property manager from safety, but do not wait for their response before calling emergency services when needed. If the smell returns after work or restoration, treat it as a fresh warning: leave again, avoid ignition sources and seek help from a remote safe location rather than assuming the earlier repair rules out danger.