High-reliability organizations facilitate the reliable accomplishment of high-risk goals while avoiding catastro-phe. Our paper evaluates natural gas utilities in the United States against the features of high-reliability orga-nization (HRO) theory. We ask: 1) How is high-reliability organizational theory applicable to natural gas infrastructure? And 2) How might natural gas hazards be reconsidered using HRO models of industrial organi-zation? We conclude that natural gas organizations are not high reliability but might be in a period of transition toward becoming HROs. Our conclusions are cautionary, noting that the expanded use of this energy source poses substantial environmental and societal risks under present organizational circumstances.
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