STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: During the past five years, the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) received sporadic reports from members– generally two or three per year- who had heard, usually second hand, of fires occurring when small gasoline containers were filled at refueling sites. Because these accidents happened so infrequently and did not result in property damage or personal injury, PEI didn't do much with the information except to make a mental note of it.

Data supplied during the summer of 1995 by the Office of State Fire Marshal in Connecticut, however, suggested that fires of this sort were beginning to develop into a problem for fire enforcement officials and the general public. Officials of the State Fire Marshal identified six fires in Connecticut during the first half of 1995 that occurred when gasoline containers were filled at public service stations. In the Connecticut fires, Stage II vapour recovery systems were used to fill approved metal containers that rested on the carpeted floor of a vehicle or the bed of a pickup truck equipped with a plastic bedliner. The vapour recovery systems, from nozzle to dispenser, were checked for grounding (bonding) and were determined to have continuity. The ignition source which caused the fires originated within the container, thus static electricity was the suspected source of ignition. In each instance, a spark discharged when the nozzle came close to the metal container and ignited the flammable vapours.

HOW PEI GOT INVOLVED: The Connecticut State Fire Marshal's Office asked PEI to collect information on similar incidents so it could determine the proper and safest way to fill these containers. We carried an article in the July 10, 1995, issue of PEI's newsletter (TulsaLetter) asking readers to report to us all accidents involving the filling of approved non-metallic and metal containers either on, or in, a vehicle or resting on the ground near the dispenser. Confidentiality was assured. We promised to send a copy of the report we prepared as the result of our investigation to the contributors. The report would also be made available, upon request, to interested individuals and companies.

WHAT WE WERE TOLD: PEI received 20 first-hand reports of incidents when filling portable containers; 5 second-hand reports of incidents when filling portable containers; and 2 reports of incidents when fueling jet skis on trailers. The reported accidents occurred between 1990 and 1995, with most occurring during 1994 and 1995.

First-hand reports of accidents were received from all parts of North America: California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington, Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland and Canada. Reports were received from major oil companies, petroleum marketers (oil jobbers), and independent oil companies. Incidents occurred with all different types of nozzles: balance, vacuum assist, and conventional. Equipment from several different hose manufacturers and gasoline dispenser manufacturers was in operation during the incidents. When measurements were taken, all hoses and nozzles tested OK for continuity.

Here is the breakdown of the 20 accidents involving portable containers for which we have first-hand reports:

• 13 accidents occurred while fueling metal containers either in the plastic-lined bed of a pickup truck (12) or the carpeted bed of a pickup truck (1). o 4 accidents occurred while filling plastic containers on the plastic-lined bed of a pickup truck.
• 1 accident occurred while filling a plastic container that was formerly in the back of the plastic-lined bed of a pickup truck.
• 1 accident occurred while filling a plastic pail on the ground.
• I accident occurred while filling a metal container on the carpeted floor of an automobile that had been driven with the windows open.
  

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?: The author of this report is not an expert on static electricity. Respondents tell me the reason these accidents occur is because cans riding in the back of a pickup truck will accumulate a static charge as the vehicle travels from one place to another. This occurs either from the friction of the can sliding on the bed of the pickup or the air flow around the can when the vehicle is moving. In addition, a static charge can be generated by the flow of gasoline into a container. The charge cannot go to ground because of the insulating (non-conductive) effect of the plastic bedliner, floor mat, or carpet. The charge resides either on the surface of the container or in the gasoline itself As the customer moves the nozzle close enough to the can a static spark jumps from the can to the nozzle. When the spark occurs in the flammable range of the vapour space, a flash or fire occurs. Chances are very good that the nozzle was never in contact with the container before the flash/fire.

Keep in mind that we have reports of accidents occurring with both metal and plastic containers in the back of insulated motor vehicles. We also have a few occurring with plastic containers placed on the ground near the dispenser. We do not have any reports of accidents occurring to metal containers placed on the ground.

OTHER INFORMATION: I received other information regarding the filling of containers which is attached to this report. Included is:

• A copy of a story regarding gasoline container fires that ran on several NBC affiliates (San Antonio, Texas, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin) in August of 1995.
• Several people shared copies of Code 30A of the National Fire Protection Association with me which reads 'Portable containers of 12 gallons (45 litres) or less shall not be filled while they are in or on a motor vehicle or marine craft." Section 9-2.2.
• A notice sent certified mail to me on October11by attorneys representing four plastic bedliner manufacturers which issued a warning on this subject.
• A portion of Appendix F of the National Conference on Weights and Measures entitled: Petroleum Products Sampling Procedures and Safety Manual (NCWM Publication 20, October 1995), published in NCWM Publication 16 (April 1996) which admonishes Weights and Measures officials as follows: "Do not fill the sample container while it is in contact with a plastic-fined pickup bed or the trunk of an automobile." Section II.D. (static electricity).
• An ad for labels now commercially available which warn of the hazards of fueling containers in the back of pickup trucks with plastic bedliners (see bottom of page 2-CIOMA News briefs, May 17, 1996).
  

Revised May 31, 1996