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Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: October 12, 2006

Agriculture Department Encourages Safety at the Gas Pump

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) is encouraging motorists to take caution while fueling during cold and dry weather conditions – when the potential for static electricity-related incidents at gas pumps increases.

Static electricity at fuel pumps, the same thing that shocks a person after dragging your feet across the carpet, can ignite gasoline vapors. Dangerous static electricity may build up when a motorist re-enters their vehicle during the fueling process and slides across the seat of the vehicle. When the individual returns to the nozzle, the static may discharge at the fill point, potentially igniting gasoline vapors and causing a flash or small sustained fire.

“The average fill-up only takes a couple of minutes and staying outside your vehicle during refueling can greatly reduce your risk of causing a static electricity fire,” said John Albert, fuel device safety specialist with MDA’s Petroleum Inspection Program. “Consumers can minimize dangers and other potential fueling hazards by following safe refueling procedures all year long.”

Albert offers the following tips to remember while fueling up:

  • Turn off your vehicle’s engine when fueling.
  • Do not re-enter the vehicle during refueling. If you cannot avoid re-entering your vehicle, discharge any static electricity by touching the vehicle far away from the fill opening and maintain constant contact with the nozzle handle.
  • Keep gasoline and other fuels out of children’s reach. Never allow a child to pump gas.
  • Do not smoke, light matches or use lighters near the gas pumps.
  • In the unlikely event a static fire does occur, leave the nozzle in the fill pipe and back away from the vehicle. Notify the station attendant immediately.
  • Portable containers should be placed on the ground when fueling.

For more information regarding static electricity fires and additional safety precautions, visit the Petroleum Equipment Institute Web site at www.pei.org, the American Petroleum Institute at www.api.org or contact MDA’s Weights and Measures division at (573) 751-4278.

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