Gas Pump Dangers

Static Electricity Causes Fires!

It may be a one in a million chance but with 11 billion refuellings in the USA each year, this means that up to 1000 times per year in the United States static electricity may ignite the gasoline vapours during refuelling.

People have been killed or severely hurt doing something as simple as refueling their vehicle or gas container by Static Electricity.

Static electricity is generated by the gasoline being pumped into a vehicle or container and by you when you get out of the car or remove an article of clothing.  Static charges are dangerous. If static charges are allowed to discharge in the vapour areas a fire can occur. The results are frightening and may be devastating.

 Most vehicle static fires are caused by a person re-entering the vehicle during refuelling to get warm or put up a credit card, answer a cell phone, etc.  When they go back to the nozzle area they discharge their static at in the vapour rich space around the refuelling port and BOOM!!

 Sometimes the hose, nozzle or even the car can ignite the gasoline vapours from static discharges

 Most gasoline container refuelling fires due to static electricity are caused by the container not being filled on the ground but in the back of a truck, the trunk of a car or the step of a van, etc.

 

 

In addition to the other warnings at the gas pump such as 

•  No Smoking

•  Turn Off Vehicle

•  No Open Flames

•  No Unapproved Containers

•  No Cell Phone Use

 

We need to be aware of the serious dangers of static electricity.

Be Aware at the Pump

Cell Phones:  have never been shown to cause a static fire at the gas pumps.  The main problem with cell phones is that they cause the person refueling their vehicle or container to be less attentive to their surroundings and to possibly re-enter their vehicle and create static charges. Do not use a cell phone at the pump or re-enter your vehicle during refueling.

Recreational Vehicles:  RV’s and trailers may have lit pilot lights on them. Make sure your RV is safe at the gasoline refueling stations.

Other People Refueling Their Vehicles or Containers:  Be aware of the dangerous actions of other people at the refueling station. If you see someone smoking, refueling with the vehicle running or refueling containers not on the ground, etc., avoid them, tell the attendant, stop refueling and move to a safe distance.

 

If you have to re-enter your vehicle: Please, please touch the side of the pump before you try to grab the fuel nozzle.