pinguhk

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. You can find out more information by going to <http://www.pei.org/> . Once here, click in the center of the screen where it says "Stop Static".

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. Thanks for passing this along.

aybeesea

Sounds to me like McDonald's reaction to coffee spillages and scaldings. Cups are stupidly labelled "The contents of this cup are hot".

There have been signs in UK filling station forecourts for the last four or five years, asking for mobiles to be switched off.

I don't think anyone does it. Just like they don't switch 'em off in hospitals - and the biggest offenders are the doctors themselves!

ABC

pinguhk

too right

halohalo

Strange. those guys at discovery network's mythbuster had proven otherwise

aybeesea

Anything that says "please make sure you immediately send this to everyone you know" stands a good chance of being yet another "email virus" a la the latest "Microsoft" or "IBM" dire warning which gets forwarded to all and sundry by those who don't know better.

The original reference is never available.

http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/securit...isks/hoaxes.jsp

ABC

narvselius

A typical hoax as it lacks as source:
1. A well known brand - "Shell Oil Company"
2. It's now! - "recently issued"
3. Concerns me as a reader - mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations. " Who hasn't a mobile phone in these days? An if you haven't, you could count anyway as father or mother
4. Mentions a real company - "Petroleum Equipment Institute" - but no link to the actual study.
5. Tell everyone = Spam...

UUronL

Exactly - the Mythbusters debunked this.

As they say, the best lies are those mixed with some truth - and the OP does contain some information that agrees with what was aired on the Mythbusters show.


Basically, they pumped an enclosure -full- of explosive gas fumes/vapor. They triggered calls to a phone inside the box, and -nothing- happened. Also, they created a static charge rubbing clothing across a fabric seat, and discharged it repeatedly. Again, -nothing- happened.


They did however interview the govt agency responsible for such safety issues in the US - they claim that they know what causes this.

They said that these explosions/fires happen a radically disproportionate amount of times to women, and they think it is because they get back into the car while refueling. Basically, when they get in and out, this creates a static charge. When they get out, if they haven't touched anything to discharge it yet, there are cases when the charge from them can jump to the car body and ignite some vapor coming from the filler nozzle. This isn't a huge deal, but if they pull the nozzle out and then get gas on themselves (and the gas continues to run), then there's a real big problem. There is actually a video of a guy in a fire suit demonstrating this that the government made (aired on the show). The person they interviewed from the govt said that if this happens, don't pull the nozzle out, and calmly ask the attendant for help.


So no. Cell phones have nothing to do with it.

Rudy

Not only is this a hoax (as many have pointed out already), it's a fairly old one...

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp

lawguy

Here is the link from Snopes about the myth.

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp

ExGMan

+1...from 1999 no less.