Safety Improvement Made This Week

BACK IN DECEMBER, the board had voted to approve the installation of 2 seismic gas shut-off valves: one for the school, and the other for the sanctuary. I’m pleased to announce that the first one was installed today! (Hopefully the second one will be done tomorrow.) This is a capital improvement, in that it has resulted in a betterment to the facility: a safer synagogue. Thus it’s to be paid for from our Capital Improvements Fund.

The new inlet pipe downstream from the meter
features a bright red earthquake valve.

This post treats the history of this issue and its resolution.…

Installing earthquake shut-off valves is a safety step that was recommended to Mishkon 19 years ago by a plumbing expert who conducted the condition assessment for our 2003 Historic Structure Report. It was listed among the “medium-priority” items:

Add seismic auto-shut-off valve at the gas meter. 

The purpose of such a unit, according to SoCalGas, is to automatically shut off the natural gas service in the event of an earthquake of moderate force or greater (typically 5.4 or higher).

It thereby reduces the risk of explosion or fire that might result from a gas leak that the earthquake may have meanwhile caused within the building. 

In our case, installation of these valves seemed especially important (to me), for 3 reasons: 

• Given that our buildings are unoccupied much of the time, there might not even be anyone around during an earthquake who could smell a gas leak. 
• Chances are miniscule that anyone who happens to be on the premises would know how to shut off the gas supply, or have the right tool on hand to do so. 
• Having natural gas is not essential to our SoCal synagogue's functioning (apart from the preschool). We can live without it for the week or two that it might take for the authorities to reset the shut-off valve (and thus restore service) after an earthquake. 

Frankly, I'm relieved not only because our building and its occupants are a bit safer, but also our synagogue’s leadership is. Ever since the expert recommendation in 2003, there has arguably been a liability risk for the synagogue's directors as individuals. What if someone had tragically been maimed or killed in the meantime, with a gas leak as a contributing factor, after the board had not taken timely action to get this valve installed? Those victimized might well accuse the board of negligence, and the insurance company who provides the Directors & Officers policy might well refuse to indemnify the board. Now, however, that worry is behind us; all present and former directors and officers can sleep better tonight.

BEFORE: Gas meter at school building with rusting inlet pipe,
prior to valve installation

UPDATE:  The second valve has now also been installed. We’re waiting for the city’s building inspector to sign off on the project. Here’s an AFTER photo and a BEFORE photo.

AFTER: Bright red earthquake valve in the supply pipe
that enters the sanctuary building.

BEFORE:  The gas supply pipe, shown from above prior to valve installation,
is normally hidden from view by a wooden picket fence (right).

Location of Gas Meter

It took me months of searching to find the gas meter for the sanctuary building, so here’s the secret. The Gas Co.’s notation says: “facing building, at the curb on right.” This description turns out to be correct only if you happen to be standing on Hampton Drive, at the phone pole shown in the photograph, below.