Static Electricity

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Static Electricity

• Rare Occurrence or
• Common Hazard?

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Static Electricity Fire Hazards
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Rare or Freak Accident?
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• The photo before shows the results of a static
  electricity discharge at a Chevron gasoline
  station in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (January,
  2003)
• It started from static electricity. The customer,
  a teenage girl, started pumping gasoline using
  the automatic filler, and got back in the
  vehicle. When the pump clicked off, she got back
  out of the car and didn't ground herself. She
  said she saw a blue flame jump from her hand to
  the pump nozzle. The photos show the damage to
  the vehicle and nearby equipment. The girl was
  not injured.
• Cold, dry weather can produce the ideal
  conditions for a static discharge.

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Safe Refueling and Fuel Handling Guidelines

• Here are some refueling and fuel safety
  guidelines that will help keep you and your
  family safe when refueling your vehicle or
  filling up gasoline storage containers

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Safe Refueling and Fuel Handling Guidelines

• Turn off your vehicle engine while refueling.
  Put your vehicle in park and/or set the emergency
  brake. Disable or turn off any auxiliary sources
  of ignition such as a camper or trailer heater,
  cooking units, or pilot lights.
• Do not smoke, light matches or lighters while
  refueling at the pump or when using gasoline
  anywhere else.   

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Safe Refueling and Fuel Handling Guidelines

• Use only the refueling latch provided on the
  gasoline dispenser nozzle, never jam the
  refueling latch on the nozzle open.
• Do not re-enter your vehicle during refueling.
• In the event a static-caused fire occurs when
  refueling, leave the nozzle in the fill pipe and
  back away from the vehicle. Notify the station
  attendant immediately.
• Do not over-fill or top-off your vehicle tank,
  which can cause gasoline spillage.

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Potential Cell Phone Hazard
Combustible Gases Cell Phones ExplosionsTURN
OFF CELL PHONESBEFORE ENTERINGSITES WITH
POTENTIALEXPLOSIVE MIXTURES
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• Best Practices
• Read your instruction book. Mobile phone makers
  such as Motorola, Ericsson, and Nokia print
  cautions in their user handbooks that warn
  against mobile phones in gas stations, fuel
  storage sites, and chemical factories.
• Turn off your mobile phone before entering any
  area with a potentially explosive atmosphere (For
  example areas around degas wells coal storage
  areas fueling areas, such as gas stations below
  deck on boats fuel transfer storage facilities
  chemical transfer and storage facilities and
  areas where the air contains chemicals or
  particles, such as coal dust, grain, dust, or
  metal powders). Do not transport or store
  flammable gas, liquid, or explosives in the same
  compartment of your vehicle that contains your
  mobile phone and its accessories.