Campaign aims to raise awareness of fire dangers from static electricity while pumping gasoline

Most drivers have heard that it is unsafe to smoke or use your cell phone while pumping gas. But how many drivers get out of their cars and go through the refueling ritual without giving a first thought to the dangers of static electricity?

Basically, there are four rules for safe refueling:

1.  Turn off the engine.
2.  Do not smoke.
3.  Do not use a cell phone. Leave it in the car and turn it off.
4.  Do not re-enter the vehicle while refueling.

Bob Renkes of the Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to alert people of the very real fire hazards associated with static electricity at gasoline pumps. 

PEI has researched 150 reported gas pump fires sparked by static electricity and the results are interesting if not surprising:

• Out of the 150 incidents, almost all involved women.

• Almost all cases involved the driver getting back into the vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas.  When finished and they went back to pull out the nozzle, static electricity sparked a fire.

• Most drivers were wearing rubber-soled shoes.

• Most men do not get back in their vehicle until the pumping is completed -- which may be why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.

• Vapor coming out of the tank was the ignition media, and static spark was the ignition source.

• Twenty-nine of the fires involved vehicle re-entry and the nozzle touched during refueling.

• Incidents included a variety of makes and models of vehicles.

• Some fires resulted in extensive damage to the vehicle, fueling station and the person doing the pumping.

• Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas cap was removed but before fueling began.

Mr. Renkes stresses that drivers should NEVER get back into their vehicle while pumping is underway. 

If you absolutely have to get into the vehicle for some reason, make sure to close the door when you get out and TOUCH THE METAL before you withdraw the nozzle.  This should dissipate the static charge safely.

This is one of those safety items that should be considered by all drivers and passed along to family, friends and co-workers.  Parents should make a special point of talking this over with young drivers in the family.