5 Things Not To Do When Refuelling. Danger : Flammable Liquids!

Posted by FES on 5th Jul 2015

Refuelling and stupidity are a volatile combination.

Safety when handling fuel products is one of our biggest priorities, but not everyone gets it!

Warning signs seem to be everywhere - from servos, bowsers to vehicles themselves. It almost seems to be common sense, and it is easy to take our knowledge of fuel safety for granted.

However, things still go wrong, and these videos are testament to the fact that no matter how many warnings you put up, people will still manage to find a way to make mistakes! The key is education, and we are strongly committed to a message that prioritizes safety of both personnel and customers.

Today Tonight put this piece together with exclusive vision obtained from the  Service Station Association.

From using mobile phones at the pump, unsafe refilling of containers to the dangers of static electricity - this is a great piece that not only outlines the obvious dangers, but also the unseen ones.

The Brave & The Stupid

What amazed us about this one wasn't just the blatant disregard for human life, but the group of people egging the driver on.

You would think that common sense would prevail. Come on guys, think about it! Every single person in this clip is a small wheel adjustment from catastrophe.

These ladies are surely first timers at filling up

From the high octane thrills of the previous video, to the dawdling of the above. Safety issues come in all speeds, models and sizes.

What would be an easy task for most drivers, quickly becomes a farcical attempt at refuelling that defies logic more than once.

Oh, It's Flammable?

Almost a Darwin award for "Is my lighter working?".

This bloke seems so preoccupied with whether or not he needs to buy a new cigarette lighter that he forgets he's standing next to 6-foot bowser of flammable fuel and his petrol caps open.

The Guardian obtained this footage, and the crowning glory of this clip is the innocent bystander, who has the presence of mind to put the flames out quickly while the fire starter runs.

The Keys to Safety

Turning the car off is an important part of refuelling safety. Unfortunately for this driver, the keys never made it to her pocket.

A few seconds is all it took for these thieves to jump in and take the car for a spin. The Sunshine Coast Daily reporting,

" Police said that driver then did a U-turn at some traffic lights and crashed into a bus stop near a coffee shop.

"The vehicle proceeded south down Kingston Road and collided into a four wheel drive, causing damage to the rear of the vehicle," a police spokesperson said.

"The vehicle was later discovered in Ellen Street. There were no injuries."

How to deal with the unknown? Be prepared for emergencies

The above videos show a wide range of unsafe behaviours. While many of these are blatant law breakers, in many cases the participants may not even realise that they are doing something dangerous!

As you can see above one of the most important parts to dealing with these kinds of incidents is to have the right safety practices in place, and to make sure that your staff know all of your on-site emergency procedures.

Similarly, appropriate safety signage, and the availability of safety equipment such as fire blankets and extinguishers, mean that anyone else in the vicinity who knows how to act under these circumstances has the tools available to do so.

Ensure Emergency Checklist is On-hand in a Panic.

Does your services station have an emergency procedure?

We imagine there a chorus of yes in response, but it is the follow up questions that are just as important - do your staff know your emergency procedures and how quickly can they do it?

Service Station operators need to be vigilant because Joe Public does not always ensure their own safety and the safety of others around them.