Why? Mobiles at petrol stations

[Shaun]

Have any petrol stations actually blown up as a result of people using their mobiles on the forecourt?

 

[Friz]

Probably not...

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp

 

[phil_hg_uk]

From the myth busters website

Using one’s cell phone while pumping gas/petrol can cause an explosion.

A properly-working cell phone poses almost no danger of igniting gasoline, even when surrounded by gasoline vapor with the optimum fuel-air mix for ignition. The actual risk comes from an electrostatic discharge between a charged driver and the car, often a result of continually getting into and out of the vehicle.

 

[subaqua]

nope, and mythbusters proved it is so unlikely as to warrant a zero on a risk assesment. the risk comes from dropping the phone and a spark happening then as the battery disconnects. but thats too big to stick on a pictogram. banning phones from forecourts is the easiest way to control the risk

 

[The_Wheelhouse]

From what I remember its the same danger that you could have by using a phone on an aeroplane, the phone could interferer with the station's systems, and no one likes to be over charged.

 

[Soltydog]

After my last redundancy I spent a while temping at a chemical works & they had a no phones policy whilst out on the site. A manager told me that very old mobiles (& this was 12 years ago) could cause a spark from their battery, but there were no recorded incidents of any actually causing an explosion.

 

[Arch]

After my last redundancy I spent a while temping at a chemical works & they had a no phones policy whilst out on the site. A manager told me that very old mobiles (& this was 12 years ago) could cause a spark from their battery, but there were no recorded incidents of any actually causing an explosion.

I guess when it's a toss up between 'just don't use your phone' and 'risk, however small, of incineration', it's a sacrifice worth making...

 

[Broadside]

From what I remember its the same danger that you could have by using a phone on an aeroplane, the phone could interferer with the station's systems, and no one likes to be over charged.

Commercial planes are starting to be fitted with mini cell sites that will allow the mobile phones on board to work (at greatly increased roaming charges). When there is some money to be made we will see this nonsense about phones interfering with the plane systems disappear overnight.

Who doesn't know of someone (or themselves

) that found on getting off the plane that their phone was switched on all the way...

 

[Bayerd]

Commercial planes are starting to be fitted with mini cell sites that will allow the mobile phones on board to work (at greatly increased roaming charges). When there is some money to be made we will see this nonsense about phones interfering with the plane systems disappear overnight.

Who doesn't know of someone (or themselves ) that found on getting off the plane that their phone was switched on all the way...

Someone who isn't me did, but they said that they didn't have a signal whilst in flight

 

[Dan B]

I have heard it claimed that the real reason for banning cell phone use at petrol stations is to avoid the scenario where someone fills up then answers an incoming call and then gets back in the car and forgets to pay before driving off

 

[ELL]

I remember both the mythbusters petrol station and aeroplane and one of the reasons for the plane one that will probably be the same for the station is there are so many different phone and new ones being released all the time that to test everyone would be near impossible. Easier to just say no to them all

 

[Vapin' Joe]

It's just a panic response to a myth.

Rather like the story in the seventies about a welder who had a disposable lighter in his breast pocket which was ignited by a spark and caused his death. The firm I worked for at the time was one of many who posted warning notices repeating the tale and banning such lighters from certain parts of the factory. On investigation by a newspaper a few years after it had become an accepted fact the original story was found to have no basis whatsoever.

 

[Moose]

nope, and mythbusters proved it is so unlikely as to warrant a zero on a risk assesment. the risk comes from dropping the phone and a spark happening then as the battery disconnects. but thats too big to stick on a pictogram. banning phones from forecourts is the easiest way to control the risk

As already mentioned, the risk is from disconnection of the battery.

I believe the danger from using mobiles on a plane is the possibility of interference with either solenoids or feedback signals. I have experienced this with two-way radios on industrial sites where using the radio near a solenoids has caused them to operate and also on feedback signals caused interference.

 

[Hover Fly]

Many years ago, (1990s) there were reports in the papers that there was a scam by which using a mobile phone in a certain way interfered with the pumps' electronics and caused them to register fewer litres than had been dispensed. It was shortly after this that petrol stations started to have signs prohibiting mobile phone use.
Perhaps this is the origin of the myths?

 

[PBancroft]

Commercial planes are starting to be fitted with mini cell sites that will allow the mobile phones on board to work (at greatly increased roaming charges).

I really hope that idea doesn't take off.