Danger when pumping gas

by xenawarrior 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  xenawarrior

  I saw this on a news show last night and I had never heard anything about it before. Since I'm up till all hours of the night, I don't know if it was a prime time news show or late night so i can't tell you the name of the program.

  It seems that there is a danger when pumping gas when folks return to sit inside their vehicle etc., they may pick up static electricity and then when going back to the nozzle, a spark from that static electricity can cause an explosion. Rubbing your feet on the carpeted mats or sliding across the seat to get into the glove compartment can all pick up static and then, if the gas nozzle is the next thing you touch, it could cause an explosion.

  In the story I saw, a woman was killed when a static electricity spark ignited the gas that had backwashed in the nozzle.

  In the program they interviewed several people as to whether they had ever heard of this danger before. Neither had I.

  The suggestion was that if you get into your vehicle while the gas is pumping, touch something metal on your vehicle before you touch the gas nozzle again.

  Now for the scary part (for me) I had to put gas in my vehicle today so I thought I'd test this out. While the gas was pumping, I was sitting in my vehicle. After the gas was done pumping, I got out and touched the metal on the door of my vehicle. Yep- spark!! There is alot of static electricity now that winter is here and we have our heat on etc. Yikes!!! Scared the daylights out of me!!!

  In any event, I had never heard of this before and I thought I'd pass it on.

  XW
• 

  Bendrr

  That's why there's signs on the gas pumps that tell you not to leave your vehicle unattended while pumping gas.

  Duh!

  You're safer smoking while pumping gas.

  Mike.
• 

  xenawarrior

  Jim:

  Not really- I have leather seats in my vehicle.

  XW
• 

  ballistic

  You can't normally leave petrol (aka gas) pumping in England un-attended. There again we all have small cars and engines, even motorbikes, none of these gas-guzzlers. Petrol here is too expensive and our governmant has signed up to all the treaties.
• 

  hillbilly

  Thank you Xena for that timely comment on Static electricity and gasoline

  Other Fueling issues you should be aware of:

  Never fill gas cans unless the can is sitting on the earth

  a gas can, isolated from ground in a car trunk or pick-up bed liner will build a static charge. leaving the can on the earth (ground, concrete, etc) allows the can to be effectivley grounded, the static is safely conducted to ground

  DO NOT USE CELL PHONES or 2 Way RADIOS while FUELING vehicles

  radio transmiters and cell phones create static charges. they should be off and you should not try to use them while fueling vehicals

  KEEP THE NOZZLE IN CONTACT WITH THE FILLER NECK

  delivery nozzles are usually aluminum or brass. using non-ferrous metals reduces the hazzards of creating a arc between metal surfaces of the filler neck and the nozzle. Keeping the nozzle in solid contact tends to discourage static charges from building also

  -------

  Static is a real danger in fueling operations. Did you know that in Bulk tank yards the delivery tanker trucks and all the equipment have to be specially grounded to earth? Large volumes of gasoline flowing in the piping create static charges, grounding systems limit potential between the equipment and protect against sparks.

  Aircraft fueling requires the tanker and aircraft to be bonded together, this bonding and grounding limits potentital between the vehicals.

  Hb-the safety guy (i knew my real world job would come in handy class)
• 

  Adam

  Another uner-appreciated, but very important, safety tip: Never leave your vehicle when mid-air refuling.
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  Francois

  Thank you all very much. This thread contains some of the most valuable practical information I've received on the internet. Very, very useful information.

  Many thanks, friends

  francois
• 

  Trotafox

  This is scary.

  I knew about cell phones. I didn't know about getting in and out of the car. I also work in a Port with petroleum tank ships all around. The Nation's largest petroleum tank farm is down the street. I don't want to hear about static electricity.

  Trot
• 

  SixofNine

  I knew this sounded fishy. I typed in "cell phone refueling hoax" into a search engine. Try it.

  This is not exactly a hoax I suppose... well, yeah it is, but the potential might be there, so what the heck, better safe than sorry I suppose. But, check out this from an article on ZD-net:

  Norm Sandler, a spokesman for Motorola, noted that manufacturers have been including such warnings in the manuals for some time. However, in recent months there has been widespread speculation in e-mails and on the Internet about some events that occurred, particularly in Asia, that has heightened the concern about using the phones at the pumps. "We have been looking into this as have the oil companies and the government, but we have found nothing,'' he said.

  He said mobile phone makers are investigating whether any government regulations exist to support such a ban and that the manufacturers may change the language in the manuals if it appears to be outdated.

  Tom Wheeler, President and CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), the Washington, D.C. organization which represents the wireless telecommunications industry said "Urban legends like this seem harmless, but the public deserves to know the truth."There is no evidence whatsoever that a wireless phone has ever caused ignition or explosion at gas station anywhere in the world. "Wireless phones don't cause gas stations to blow up. These warnings simply perpetuate the myth.''

  It's never happened, it's unlikely ever too happen, but hey, I suppose it could happen.
• 

  SixofNine

  More on static electricity and refueling: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blgas-static-fires2.htm