Warning From Shell Oil Company

my mom works at a coop and has seen a training video they show staff that shows this actually happens. figured i'd share this article.

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Please send this information to ALL your family & friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen, they may not be able to get the children out in time.

MUST READ, EVEN IF YOU DON'T OWN A CAR.


Shell Oil Comments - A MUST READ!

Safety Alert!
Here are some reasons why we don't allow cell phones in operating areas, propylene oxide handling and storage area, propane, gas and diesel refueling areas.

The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations

In the first case, the phone was placed on the car's trunk lid during fueling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline pump.

In the second, an individual suffered severe burns to their face when fumes ignited as they answered a call while refueling their car!

And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they were fueling their car.

You should know that: Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes

Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition

Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat, etc.

Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, (I.e., solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc...)

TO sum it up, here are the Four Rules for Safe Refueling:

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.

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 until 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.

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.
If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle.

As I mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware of this danger.

I ask you to please send this information to ALL your family and friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time.

Turn off the phone when you drive into a service station, fill lawn mower etc.

I'm not buying it man, I've seen several reports and show arguing the contrary,

There is no way a cell phone can ignite gas fumes.

Ive also never heard of static igniting fumes.. Especially friction caused from withdrawing the pump from hole. .. Although slightly more believable. 20 years at the coop almost half with service stations and nothing like this has ever happened.

But.. I feel a bit odd disputing this on the 40k board..

Shell stations has the 'Gets Hot!' special rule?

Wouldn't have happened it the tanks were magnetized.

Idiots.

From what I have heard on the subject,

it is actually well documented that static electricity can ignite fumes under the proper conditions (dry atmosphere, leather seats etc...) It is rare, but it does occur.

The most contested part of this sort of incident is the part about phones. The phone itself is extremely unlikely to cause ignition, but it is likely to get you to re-enter your car (if you left it on your dash/ in a cup holder and need to answer it mid-pumping). Entering and exiting the vehicle charges you and can release a static shock, which in turn can ignite fumes.

Myth Busters did an episode on it. It was in their first season I believe.

Gasoline is a very dangerous and volatile substance. If gasoline powered engines were new technology right now they would be banned due to safety concerns.

This has to be one of the weirdest threads ever on this site. And that's saying something.

Yeah... i actually thought it was spam ay first.. I thought there was gonna be a website link at the bottom to click on..

All we need is for Robyn to see a cock in a pump nozzle and we're there.

Beau don't give him any ideas lol

Well, now that you called it out, it's never going to happen.

Though, it does remind me about a story of an 80's porn star who used to fill up at this one gas station. He'd pull the nozzle out half way through filling up and just spray it everywhere all over the car.

lol...you guys....

i figured i'd share it because mom's a co-op employee and they've been shown a yearly safety video for the last 5 years showing where this has happened. its very rare, and the fumes and the electrical charge buildup has to be just right (they're also trying to investigate the kind of phones the victims had to see if there was a specific brand/model that popped up more often than most) for it to happen, but there have been enough cases to make it an issue of concern. this is why all the pumps in the city have a no cell phone sign on them beside the no smoking one now.

i also saw that video today while youtubing videos of these accidents, adam; i was rather surprised they claimed busted and only tested a shitty old cell and talked to only one gas station owner, as they're usually more thorough. but if that was their first season, that may be why. mom mentioned something about the video they''re shown says its the smartphones, and cells that specifically have a light/buzzer that goes off when you receive a text or call that have the highest chance of causing the accidents.

since i know most of us use smartphones, i wanted to share this; last thing anyone wants to hear is someone in our gaming community got first degree burns to his leg cause his wife texted him while he was pumping gas. the chance of the conditions being right is very low, but still. being set on fire isn't very fun. take it from someone who's caught on fire before. you don't want to experience it. in my case i was lucky enough to put out the fire before it got through all 4 layers of my clothes.

No

Even if it were possible, which I think is bull, it would be a next to nothing chance....

Gain wrote:Even if it were possible, which I think is bull, it would be a next to nothing chance....

If airplanes had a 99% safety margin 10s of thousands of flights per day would make unsafe landings. Next to nothing chances lead to large amounts of accidents with things that are popular in this culture such as phones and gas stations.

Can we just agree that anyone this happens to wins a Darwin award?

The one thing i gathered from the whole post is that women need to use full serve more often.

Rhaevyn wrote:The one thing i gathered from the whole post is that women need to use full serve more often.

lmao.