News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Jim Palmer, Director of Information

Phone: (405) 522-2100, FAX: (405) 522-1623, www.occ.state.ok.us

July 3, 2000

Warning and Advice on Refueling Your Vehicle

By Jennifer Wilson of the Petroleum Storage Tank Division

OKLAHOMA CITY – Although refueling a vehicle is generally a safe operation, research shows there has been a marked increase since last fall in the number of flash fires caused by vapor ignition at gas pumps reported to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI).

From September of 1999 through January of 2000, 36 vapor ignition fires were reported to the PEI. The increased frequency of these fires caused PEI to investigate further establishing that static electricity was the source of ignition in all cases. The API reported receiving less that 15 reports of flash fires due to static electricity distinct from the PEI reports but issued a refueling advisory for consumers in February.
Though static electricity has long been know to cause vapor ignition fires, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, taking its cue from the increase in incidents, sends a warning to gasoline consumers with API and PEI safety guidelines.

The primary problem at gas pumps, research and questionnaires have shown, is customers returning to their vehicles during refueling because sliding across car seats generates some static electricity. Though the gasoline hose itself is grounded, when a human charged with static comes into contact with the fuel nozzle handle, an electrostatic spark can ignite vapors. Rubber-soled shoes were worn in 94% of PEI’s reported fires where footwear could be identified; rubber soles insulate the path of the electricity, keeping the charge generated by the person sliding across the car seats from grounding.

Tips For Refueling From Both PEI and API include:

Stay near your vehicle’s fueling point; Do Not Go Back Into Your Vehicle When Refueling, regardless of whether you use the nozzle’s hold-open latch.

If you MUST re-enter your vehicle while refueling, discharge the static electricity by touching a metal part of the outside of your car, AWAY FROM THE FILLING POINT, before removing the gas nozzle.

Always turn your engine off before refueling.

Never smoke, light matches or use a lighter while refueling

To avoid spills, do not overfill or top off your gas tank. Let the fuel dispenser shut off automatically.

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Page 2, Safety Tips for Refueling

When dispensing gas into a portable container, always use an approved container. Always place the container on the ground and keep the pump nozzle in contact with the container when refueling to avoid a static electricity ignition of fuel vapors. Never place the container inside a vehicle, in the truck, on the bed of a pickup or flat bed or on the roof of a trailer while fueling.

In The Event That a Vapor Ignition Fire Does Occur:

Leave the nozzle in the fill pipe and back away from the vehicle.

Notify station attendants at once so dispensing devices and pumps can be shut off with emergency controls.

If the facility is unattended, use the emergency intercom to summon help and the emergency shutdown button to shut off the Pump.

(Source: API Gasoline Refueling Advisory and Safety Guidelines for Customers, February 3, 2000, www.api.org)

-occ-

All OCC news releases and advisories are available for downloading and review from the OCC web site at www.occ.state.ok.us