1) Turn off engine
2) Don’t smoke
3) Don’t use your cell phone – leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off
4) Don’t re-enter your vehicle during fueling
The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in
which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations.
Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try
and make people aware of fires as a result of”static electricity” at gas
pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires.
His results were very surprising:
1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.
2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while
the nozzle was still pumping gas. When finished, they went back to pull the
nozzle out and the fire started, as a result of static.
3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes.
4) Most men never get back in their vehicle unt il completely finished.
This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.
5) Don’t ever use cell phones when pumping gas
6) It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when
connected with static charges.
7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was re-entered and the nozzle was
touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulted
in extensive damage to the vehicle, to the station, and to the customer.
8) Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas cap
was removed and before fueling began.
Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it
with gas. You can find more information at http://www.pei.org/