Gasoline is highly flammable and needs a little spark to ignite. Every time you sit in your car and rub the fabric, you generate static electricity that can be transferred to the gas pump and cause a fire. If you decide to re-enter your car, touch a metal surface, such as your vehicle door, before touching the gas pump again. Whether you only fill your gas tank once a month or several times a week, safety should be paramount when you are at the gas pump.
Filling vehicles with self-service pumps requires millions of people to run gasoline regularly. Static electricity, common in cold, dry conditions, can cause a spark when the driver touches the fuel nozzle. Under rare conditions, the static spark can ignite gasoline vapors, causing a sudden fire. Whether you are filling or transporting your car tank, it is essential to have the right and safe machines to handle this liquid. In the early 1900s, a hose was incorporated into the pump to allow direct pumping. Today, the hoses include swivels and safety blocks to ensure safe transportation and transfer of liquids.
Click here to try a free demo of our online defensive driving courses. These courses can not only help you learn road safety laws and prevent car accidents, but can also lower your insurance rates or remove points from your driver’s license. Coronavirus appears to live for hours and even days on some surfaces. This means that playing a gas pump or keyboard to pay for gasoline can risk you coming into contact with the coronavirus. Make your choice by pressing the corresponding button on the pump.
Pump handles and credit card keyboards, which are high contact areas, may have the virus present, which experts say can last for hours or even days on hard surfaces. Return the trigger to the starting point and remove the mouthpiece from the tank, with the last drops falling. Return the lid tab to the “down” position, if you lift it and replace the mouthpiece on the pump. It is common for a small amount of gas to come out of the mouthpiece while you remove it, so be careful not to put it on. If you need to spill something on the side of your car or around the gas gate, paper towels are generally available on the side of the pump that you can use to clean up spilled gasoline.
But there are a few things you can do to stay safe when pumping gasoline. When dispensing gasoline in a container, use only an approved portable container and place it old style fuel can spout on the ground to prevent possible static positive ignition from fuel vapors. Containers should never be filled while in a vehicle or trunk, truck bed or trailer floor.
Good to know at those times when they don’t have enough money to fill the car. There are a wide variety of aspects to consider when it comes to driving safety. Being fully present while pumping gas is one of the most important ways to prevent fires, destroy vehicles and save lives. If you don’t have this space, a lot of pressure can get into your car and eventually cause a dangerous leak.