Mobile Phones and Gasoline Stations [MERGED]

[silver_corolla]

Cutting off mobile phone calls when you drive into a petrol station for fear of causing an explosion may not be necessary after all, it emerged today.

Rachel Williams, PA
news.scotsman.com


Cutting off mobile phone calls when you drive into a petrol station for fear of causing an explosion may not be necessary after all, it emerged today.

According to a paper to be presented later this week the commonly held belief that a spark from a phone could ignite petrol fumes is nothing but myth.


The “phantom risk” has apparently been created through a heady mix of rumour spread by the internet and word of mouth, and excessive concerns over safety.

Dr Adam Burgess, of the University of Kent, will tell the annual conference of the British Sociological Association that not one of the 243 petrol station fires attributed to mobiles worldwide in 11 years was actually the result of such a spark.

Instead, many were found on investigation by BP’s fire safety officer Richard Coates to have been caused by the discharge of static electricity from the body igniting fumes.

“The petrol station/mobile phone story crosses into the realm of rumour and urban legend,” Dr Burgess said.

“It’s properly groundless, a story of health and safety gone mad.

“Even on an oil rig the only real reason not to use a mobile is because of the issue of distraction.”

Forecourt bans on mobiles were first introduced in the aftermath of the Piper Alpha tragedy of 1988, where 167 men died off the coast of Scotland after the explosion of a gas processor on an oil and gas production platform.

Dr Burgess says the event gave “shape and momentum” to the drive towards ever-greater safety.

“It was possible in this climate of systematic risk reduction for the restriction on cell phone usage to be introduced without any challenge,” he writes.

“The ban was not based upon any scientific research, but a relatively instinctive precautionary response from those charged with responsibility for safety at British service stations.”

When manufacturers such as Motorola and Nokia printed warnings in their manuals not to use mobiles at petrol stations because of the risk of fire the idea was given further credence, and has since proved hard to dispel despite recent research showing “there is nothing to worry about”.

Dr Burgess says a lit cigarette is not hot enough to ignite petrol on a filling station, let alone the low voltage of a mobile.

In the UK, he says, there is now official acknowledgement of the lack of evidence and the principle issue against using phones on the forecourt is that it might distract the customer, yet confusion and misunderstanding prevail.

“There appears to be no desire on the part of oil companies or UK safety officers to clarify the issue,” he complains.

“In practice the restriction continues to be enforced on the basis that there is something inherently dangerous about the cell phone in such an environment.

“Cell phones remain a mysterious, unexplained hazard at the gas station.”

[BlueBimmer]

guilty ako dto...

[the_wildthing]

Parang nadebunk na rin ito ng Mythbusters duo...

[artpogi]

Parang nadebunk na rin ito ng Mythbusters duo...

Korek, it was already proven by Mythbusters that using cellphones while filling up gas does not and will not trigger explosions.

[silver_corolla]

there's nothing wrong at all turning your mobile phone while filling gasoline on your tank. black propaganda lang ng mga petroleum players yan dahil sa totoo lang pwede ma mis calibrate ang reading ng metro nila dahil sa interference ng mobile cellfone mo. hehe.... :D

[ILuvDetailing]

static energy is the main cause of explosions or fires in gasoline stations, well according to discovery channel... specially in cold countries.

[1D4LV]

what about non-turning off of the engines while filling up? minsan kasi nakipag-away ako about dyan eh. ang init ng panahon and i was riding with my kid na may skin asthma, tapos hirit ba naman sa akin nung gas boy eh kung ayaw ko patayin makina ko, pakarga na lang daw ako sa iba...

[chieffy]

what about non-turning off of the engines while filling up? minsan kasi nakipag-away ako about dyan eh. ang init ng panahon and i was riding with my kid na may skin asthma, tapos hirit ba naman sa akin nung gas boy eh kung ayaw ko patayin makina ko, pakarga na lang daw ako sa iba...

tado yung gas boy na iyon ah...kung ako dealer ng station na iyon palalaklakin ko sya ng gasolina eh ...sentimo na nga lang kinikita ko dyan eh mawawalan pa ako ng customer di ko kaya siya swelduhan he he ...ako di ko pinapansin kahit sabihin sa akin iyon (pasaway din ako eh he he)

[silver_corolla]

what about non-turning off of the engines while filling up? minsan kasi nakipag-away ako about dyan eh. ang init ng panahon and i was riding with my kid na may skin asthma, tapos hirit ba naman sa akin nung gas boy eh kung ayaw ko patayin makina ko, pakarga na lang daw ako sa iba...

same sentiment HG. pissed off din ako sa mga gasoline boy na ganyan. pero awa ng diyos hindi pa naman ako pinapalipat ng ibang gasolinahan.... hehe.... yung iba kasing gasoline boy napapaki-usapan ko yung iba naman mahigpit talaga... e madali naman akong kausap kaya pinapatay ko din engine ko.... harhar... pero kadalasan pinapatay ko ang engine ko kapag mag-isa lang ako sa kotse, kapag kasama ko si misis at si baby namin hindi ko pinapatay ang makina until he (gaso boy) told me to do so pero with pakiusap na yon na pwedeng wag na lang.

[jvdejesus05]

yup, saw that episode by myth busters. cfnes won't ignite gasoline to cause an explosion.

[theveed]

Sa Shell ganun... While ok lang sakin dahil inutusan lang naman sila, dapat mas flexible sila.

2 cases sakin eh, one time I was having a vacuum problem sa car ko, if I shut it down and restart within 5 mins or so... ayaw ako pagbigyan, fine sa kabila ako nagpakarga...

Second time naman naubusan ako ng diesel, dala ko 1 gallon jug ko sabi ko emergency lang naubusan ng gas, aba di padin ako binentahan ampuch....

hehe.

[larshell]

I just want your opinion on this. When going to any gas station and the pump attendants(gasolineboy) ask you politely wd a smile to TURN OFF your ENGINE and CELLPHONE. What will you do?Will you turn off your engine wd your baby inside and your wife on hot summer time? Will you turn off your cellphone wd your boss on the line?What do you think guys? Safety first or Hustle?

[nugundam93]

i would turn both off. tutal, it's only gonna be a short wait when filling up, even with the added time kapag credit card ang gamit mo.

[wildthing]

sure I would turn it off.

Napaka arte naman ng baby and wife ko pag ganun - pede naman buksan ang windows muna besides hindi naman sila naka bilad sa araw when loading the tank plus madali lang naman magpafull-tank (at most 5 mins - unless 200 galloner ang gas tank mo).

Sa phone naman, technically everyone shouldn't be using the phone while driving di ba? Besides, I'd be more than happy to tell my boss to wait and I'll call him back kasi nag-papagas pa ako.

Hindi ko na siguro pag-iisipan ang sagot kung SAFETY FIRST kesa HUSTLE ..... I would rather chose safety rather than me and my family die first (say explosion kaya ng gas station dahil sa hindi pag sunod sa simpleng alituntunin)???

[flakez]

hindi na nila kelangan sabihan ako na patayin ung makina, pag may lumapit sa akin at nagtanong kung ano ikakarga pinapatay ko na kagad ung makina.

[BlueBimmer]

turn off but it has been proven in a Mythbusters episode that cellphones dont cause any risk at gas stations.

[explorer]

turn off but it has been proven in a Mythbusters episode that cellphones dont cause any risk at gas stations.

myth? the people in oil refinery plants (and gas stations) should know better than anyone else. gasoline evaporates at normal temperature (28 degress celcius) when exposed to air. that's the very reason why most 'tankers' deliver their loads of fuel to the gas station during the night time (aside from truck bans) is to avoid loses due to high evaporation by gasoline during day time. have you heard of exploding cellphones due to fake batteries?

[BlueBimmer]

myth? the people in oil refinery plants (and gas stations) should know better than anyone else. gasoline evaporates at normal temperature (28 degress celcius) when exposed to air. that's the very reason why most 'tankers' deliver their loads of fuel to the gas station during the night time (aside from truck bans) is to avoid loses due to high evaporation by gasoline during day time. have you heard of exploding cellphones due to fake batteries?

yep i know coz we used to own a Petron station.

celfon batteries exploding IIRC is caused by charging and calling at the same time, causing the fake battery to heat up.

[mazdamazda]

myth? the people in oil refinery plants (and gas stations) should know better than anyone else. gasoline evaporates at normal temperature (28 degress celcius) when exposed to air. that's the very reason why most 'tankers' deliver their loads of fuel to the gas station during the night time (aside from truck bans) is to avoid loses due to high evaporation by gasoline during day time. have you heard of exploding cellphones due to fake batteries?

MYTH!

Actually, your body contains more (static) electricity than your phone (from rubbing your butt on your seats, rubbing your hands on the steering wheel, cold temperature and dry air, etc).

===

BTTT, I don't think that is a hassle to turn off the engine (since I'll also be saving on gasoline). A typical full tank for me takes around 5 minutes (including the swiping of the credit card & SM Advantage card).

But for the phone, I just leave it in the car or in my pocket. To comply with their "safety procedures" - I just don't use the phone when I am outside the vehicle.

[1D4LV]

MYTH!

Actually, your body contains more (static) electricity than your phone (from rubbing your butt on your seats, rubbing your hands on the steering wheel, cold temperature and dry air, etc).

===

BTTT, I don't think that is a hassle to turn off the engine (since I'll also be saving on gasoline). A typical full tank for me takes around 5 minutes (including the swiping of the credit card & SM Advantage card).

But for the phone, I just leave it in the car or in my pocket. To comply with their "safety procedures" - I just don't use the phone when I am outside the vehicle.

john, mukhang panay kamot mo ng wetpaks kaya mo kabisadi yung static electricity ah. hehehehe.

seriously, wala namang mawawala if you follow the rules...rules are there for everyone's safety. tama sila. matagal na yung 5 minutes na nakapatay ang makina kung nagpapakarga. and besides, pwede namang buksan yung window.