Beware of static electricity hazards at gas pump

  • Published
  • By 341st Space Wing Safety Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  During the dry winter months, mishaps resulting from static electricity increase significantly. The gas pump is one location where the potential for trouble is greatest. 

People who observe these shocking statistics and absorb these tips should keep from having to stop, drop and roll. 

Gasoline safety tips:
-- Turn off the vehicle's engine when refueling. 

-- Keep gasoline and other fuels out of children's sight and reach. Gasoline is highly toxic as well as highly flammable. Never allow a child to pump gas. 

-- People should not use any electronic devices, such as cell phones, computers or portable radios while refueling. 

-- Use only the refueling latch on the gasoline dispenser nozzle, if there is one. Do not jam the latch with an object to hold it open. 

-- To avoid spills, do not top off or overfill the vehicle. 

-- After pumping gasoline, leave the nozzle in the tank opening for a few seconds to avoid drips before removal. 

-- If a fire starts while refueling, don't remove the nozzle from the vehicle or try to stop the flow of gasoline. Leave the area immediately and call for help. 

-- Don't get in and out of your vehicle while refueling. A static electric charge can develop and a spark can ignite gasoline vapor. 

-- For people who must get into the vehicle during refueling, discharge any static electricity by touching metal on the outside of the vehicle, away from the filling point, before removing the nozzle from the vehicle. 

-- Use only approved portable containers for transporting or storing gasoline. Make sure the container is in a stable position. 

-- Never fill a portable container when it is in or on the vehicle. Always place the container on the ground first. Fires caused by static charges have occurred when people filled portable containers in the back of pick-up trucks, particularly those with plastic bed liners. 

-- When filling a portable container, keep the nozzle in direct contact with the container. Fill it only about 95 percent full to leave room for expansion. 

Facts and Figures
-- An estimated 7,400 fires and explosions occurred at public service stations each year from 1994 to 1998. That equates to one in every 13 service stations experiencing a fire. These 7,400 fires caused an annual average of two civilian deaths, 70 civilian injuries and $18 million in property damage. 

-- Nearly two-thirds (4,620) involved vehicles. Vehicle fires led to an annual average of one civilian death, 37 civilian injuries and $7.7 million in property damage. 

-- Mechanical or electrical problems caused three out of four vehicle fires at public service stations. 

-- Gasoline was the material first ignited in one-third of vehicle fires at these properties. 

-- Seventeen percent of the outside fires (excluding vehicle fires) and 10 percent of the structure fires were started by cigarettes.

*Data collected from the Electrostatic Discharge journal Web site http://www.esdjournal.com/static/refuelr.htm