A bit off topic but.....

[bhm1712]

I just filled up the trans-am with Petrol, which takes a while seeing as though its an 80 litre tank.....anyways one guy is trying to start his taxi and the battery is obviously dead. Next minute another taxi turns up and a bloke gets out with a set of jump leads. Im standing there with fuel nozzle in hand thinking 'no this aint gonna happen....surely not?' but it did.....

the second taxi guy positions his car infront of the other and they both open bonnets. By this time im getting a little concerned, so i hang up the nozzle and go over to speak to the guys. I asked them if they really thought that jump starting a car in a petrol station was a good idea and i get a load of abuse - they obviously are as thick as pig s***. So i run into the shop and tell the young girl on the till who is oblivious to whats going on as she has her head buried in a kindle.....she fetches somebody from the back who s**** himself and gets on the tannoy. The 2 men dont acknowledge the tannoy and the leada are already connected to one car so myself and the manager (i presume he was) run outside to hit the fuel cut off switch.

Drama pretty much ended there....2 very unhappy but none the wiser taxi drivers and much relief for me and the other people there. Didnt get to fill up the car tonight....

 

[SaladFingers]

Don't see the problem, small spark. Do you think there's no contact spark when your solenoid and starter motor has a go? They're not intrinsically safe.

And a Trans Am with these fuel prices? I'm glad I sold my Corvette.

 

[bhm1712]

Well thats not strictly true is it. A petrol station forecourt falls under ATEX/DSEAR regulations. Have you not seen the video of the woman who ignited the petrol vapour in a petrol station with static electricity from her coat?

You are correct, a cars electrical system is not Ex rated, but the risk is assessed accordingly and jump starting a car in a zone 1 ATEX area is not really a good idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmLqG6nFtqw

 

[bhm1712]

The trans-am is fun, yes it costs alot, but its not a daily driver.

I would miss it if i sold it.

 

[333rocky333]

The manager and staff need some training, there would be stop buttons by the till points, he would not have to run out to activate them

 

[conny]

Still doesn't deny these taxi drivers are thick!
They must use the petrol station much more frequently than your average driver, and yet they appear to have never seen the signs on the pumps that say, no smoking, no phones etc.

Regarding the solenoid question, this is located in the engine compartment under cover. The percentage of this igniting any fuel vapours is fantastically minimal compared to a spark from a car battery.

 

[rjm2k]

Well thats not strictly true is it. A petrol station forecourt falls under ATEX/DSEAR regulations. Have you not seen the video of the woman who ignited the petrol vapour in a petrol station with static electricity from her coat?

You are correct, a cars electrical system is not Ex rated, but the risk is assessed accordingly and jump starting a car in a zone 1 ATEX area is not really a good idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmLqG6nFtqw[/QUOTE]

I wish we had those pumps that stay on until full so you can sit in your nice warm car instead of the freezing cold!

 

[bhm1712]

The reason we dont is because of what happened in that video i linked to....Well not that exact incident, but the risk when leaving the nozzle discharging on its own is greater than if we hold it.

The woman set the nozzle discharging and returned to her car, but what you will notice is if you look closely, she fumbles around with her jumper, gets in the car and gets back out fumbling with her jumper still, but she never touches the car body. If she had of done this, the static build up from her jumper would have discharged through the cars body and not through the nozzle when she grabbed it again - igniting the surrounding vapour.

If you look at UK nozzles, the trigger clip for this is still fitted, but the latch which it clips into is missing so you cant actually lock it on....

 

[bhm1712]

even better- petrol station worker uses cigarette lighter to inspect the fuel level inside the tanker......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5M--0CSZ1I

 

[rjm2k]

even better- petrol station worker uses cigarette lighter to inspect the fuel level inside the tanker......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5M--0CSZ1I[/QUOTE]

Wow, I'm shocked that guy was even allowed near the tanker, he looks like a sales assistant so would normally be sat behind the till eating crisps and watching telly.

I would have thought that handling fuel and the delivery was a very specialised job.

 

[stem]

I wish we had those pumps that stay on until full so you can sit in your nice warm car instead of the freezing cold!

I spent this October touring New England in an RV (Motorhome) In the USA the fuel pumps can be latched in the on position so that you don't have to hold the trigger whilst filling. (Useful when you have to fill a tank connected to a V10 7.8 litre petrol (gas) engine) There were signs prohibiting you from getting back into the vehicle whilst waiting, in case a static spark is generated by your clothing as you slide across the seat. I suppose they feel the risk is higher when fuel is being actually being dispensed into your vehicle because vapour laden air is being displaced from the tank as the fuel enters. Unfortunately I accidentally forgot to extinguish the lpg refrigerator on one occasion but nothing exploded. Ironically I had remembered to turn off my phone.

Back home filling up last week, I saw two passengers in vehicles being refueled using their mobile phones despite the signs. I wonder though how many people just refrain from using them and don't actually turn them off, and before anyone asks, I didn't use my phone to take this picture.

View media item 53374

 

[EFLImpudence]

View media item 53374

This would appear to be one of those 'may contain nuts' situations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4366337.stm

There are so many blanket instructions around that, understandably, people take little notice of the genuine ones.

A bit like 'caution - wet floor' signs when in actual fact a more appropriate one would be 'caution - unnecessary signs'.

 

[Simon35]

Well thats not strictly true is it. A petrol station forecourt falls under ATEX/DSEAR regulations. Have you not seen the video of the woman who ignited the petrol vapour in a petrol station with static electricity from her coat?

You are correct, a cars electrical system is not Ex rated, but the risk is assessed accordingly and jump starting a car in a zone 1 ATEX area is not really a good idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmLqG6nFtqw[/QUOTE]

Doubtful that the forecourt general area is Zone 1, Zone 2 most likely, maybe around the filling nozzle during the filling operation is a zone 1.

Still a stupid idea though....

 

[bhm1712]

Zone 1:
A place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture with air or flammable substances in the form of gas, vapor or mist is likely to occur in normal operation occasionally.

Zone 2:
A place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture with air of flammable substances in the form of gas, vapor or mist is not likely to occur in normal operation but, if it does occur, will persist for a short period only.

Hmm not sure - but im still edging towards 1.

 

[Simon35]

Zone 1:
A place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture with air or flammable substances in the form of gas, vapor or mist is likely to occur in normal operation occasionally.

Zone 2:
A place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture with air of flammable substances in the form of gas, vapor or mist is not likely to occur in normal operation but, if it does occur, will persist for a short period only.

Hmm not sure - but im still edging towards 1.

Still sticking with zone 2, I think its unlikely in normal operation and would be dispersed in any case. Never debated ATEX zoning on a forum before...