[Warwithwheels]

Came across this live CCTV footage of a mobile phone triggered fuel station blast on YouTube.


WARNING:THIS VIDEO CONTAINS DISTURBING VISUALS. VIEWERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVX8nx0gbb8

Please skip to 0.50 in case you wanna have a quick look at the explosion

How often do we abide by the warning signs that are put up in fuel stations against mobile phone usage?

I have seen a lot of two wheeler riders making use of the refueling time to make calls with utter disregard to the fuel pump attendants warning. They seldom realize the serious safety hazard it poses.

If we haven't been really serious about it all these days, am sure this video will make a change.

PLEASE DO NOT USE MOBILE PHONES AT FUEL STATIONS

[AbhishekB86]

The warning is there but like all things we don't bother with rules regarding cell phone usage. In fact if you don't use your phone while driving people question your driving ability. As if its an art.

Also this video should have come with a disclaimer that it contained disturbing images. Freaked me out.

[green_wheel]

There is no direct correlation between mobile phones and fires at gas stations. I think this myth was busted on some science program and there are videos on Youtube.
Please go through this link for this particular incident in the video above.

http://www.hoaxorfact.com/Technology...ile-usage.html

This is not to proselytize that cell phones cannot cause fires. Just that the root cause is actually the static electricity which can be caused by any contact between surfaces, even from just putting a key back into the ignition slot. The problem is more pronounced in cold weather when we start getting shocks even from our winter clothes.

The reason for fires at gas stations is entirely due to poor safety practices which for me is a bigger threat in our country than mobile phones. Gas leak detectors are hardly used at petrol pumps. Also the casual way in which CNG is filled in our public transport vehicles make me very nervous. Haphazard electric fittings are also a threat. Many of the bunks in Indian cities go overboard in lighting up the premises for Diwali and other festivals with those blinking lights. Many of these are fitted using exposed jugaad wires which are a serious hazard.

Anyways, it is always advisable to err on the side of caution and so - Do not use mobile phones in gas stations.

[tsk1979]

Cell phone usage has nothing to do with fires.
If they guy had just put his hand in his pocket, and moved it here and there, and then touched the metal, there would have still been a fire.
The most common cause of such fires is static electricity.
Most people do not understand the concept of static electricity.

During winter, its common occurance in the west, and this is how it happens.(No attendants)

You get out of your car, fully charged.
As you get out and touch the door you are discharged, If you don't do so you go to the fuel nozzle and touch it and get discharged.

So far so good.
You fill up fuel, and drive away.

Safe.

In winters, sometimes people put in the fuel hose with autocut, and then go back and sit inside the car. Reasons can be two
1. A lady driver at a remote fuel pump, feels unsafe standing out alone.
2. Its too cold to stand outside, as it can take over a minute to fill a big 40 gallon tank, and in case of trucks it could take 2 minutes

So the driver sits inside, and as the fuel supply stops, he gets out.
After that without touching the car body, he goes to the fuel nozzle, and then you get a nice youtube video.

So forget this mobile phone silliness, and make sure, you are not "charged".

[ghodlur]

Better to be safe than sorry.

Have seen lot many morons fiddling with cell phone while waiting for their turn to refuel and that includes 2 & 4 wheelers. I remember a few months back asking the pump attendant at IOC petrol bunk near IIT Powai, Mumbai about the unavailability of any signs of banning cell phone usage and the usual comments I got was "Whats the use, anyways people dont listen".

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Cell phone usage has nothing to do with fires.

. . .

So forget this mobile phone silliness, and make sure, you are not "charged".

Well said.

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

How often do we abide by the warning signs that are put up in fuel stations against mobile phone usage?

A lot of warning signs need to be sent back to the drawing board and re-done based on proper ground-level research done.

PLEASE DO NOT USE MOBILE PHONES AT FUEL STATIONS

Again, this is what is wrong - lets not get onto a preaching mode without understanding the core problem. @tsk & @green_wheel's points are more relevant than these "warning boards".

Yes, it is definitely advisable to attend to that call or sms of yours a few mins later, once you are done with the fueling; but a "serious safety hazard"? Give me a break please.

Edit: Please do click the youtube link for the video and check out the suggested videos on the right - several of them would clear the myth of cell-phones & fuel-pump fires

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Better to be safe than sorry.

Have seen lot many morons fiddling with cell phone while waiting for their turn to refuel and that includes 2 & 4 wheelers. I remember a few months back asking the pump attendant at IOC petrol bunk near IIT Powai, Mumbai about the unavailability of any signs of banning cell phone usage and the usual comments I got was "Whats the use, anyways people dont listen".

Err morons?
Whats safe or unsafe about it.
I see many people breathing while filling fuel. I can claim breathing while filling fuel can cause earthquakes and then call every one who does that to be morons.
And I also have proof.
During major earthquakes, many people were breathing at fuel pumps, due to which the earthquake occurred.

That said, believing just anything without scientific evidence can classify under the behavior you mentioned.

[mayuresh]

Cellphones cause explosions is rubbish.

Vehicles themselves contain a lot more mechanical, electromechanical and electronic devices whose activity far exceeds that of a solidstate cell phone.

If this was true, switching the ignition on or off, blowing horn, in-vehicle-entertainment-electronics, reverse camera - anything could have caused an explosion.

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Cell phone usage has nothing to do with fires.

Official Clarification From Shell:
Source

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

....Yes, it is definitely advisable to attend to that call or sms of yours a few mins later, once you are done with the fueling; but a "serious safety hazard"? Give me a break please.

Just because you don't wear your helmet for a day, you don't meet with a head injury. But if a accident should take place, the potential damage to the head is definitely considered serious, if we really value what is inside of it. The same applies to this case as well.

I don't think mobile phone manufacturers are so foolish to issue an unwarranted warning in their mobile user manual regarding safety usage.



At the end of the day, safety is something personal and depends on the value we attach to our lives. As the golden rule says, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

Official Clarification From Shell:

This clarification itself mentions:

static electricity issues not associated with cell phones.

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

This clarification itself mentions:

static electricity issues not associated with cell phones.

Please re-read the statement in full:

A number of mobile phone manufacturers recommend that their phones are NOT used in areas with potentially explosive atmospheres because there are static electricity issues not associated with cell phones.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

Please re-read the statement in full:

And the cause as mentioned earlier has nothing to do with cell phones. It is due to static eletrcity and would affect even using a pen.

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

And the cause as mentioned earlier has nothing to do with cell phones. It is due to static eletrcity and would affect even using a pen.

Agreed that static electricity is the main culprit. But are you suggesting that cell phones are completely risk free when used at a fuel station? If so why should manufacturers of mobile phones issue such a warning. Moreover shell doesn't completely rule out the possibility of a mobile phone causing an explosion. What say?

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

are you suggesting that cell phones are completely risk free when used at a fuel station?

As risk free as using your wallet to make payment for fuel or taking out your pen to sign credit cars slip.

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

If so why should manufacturers of mobile phones issue such a warning.

Same reason as adding "Hot" warning to coffee

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

Moreover shell doesn't completely rule out the possibility of a mobile phone causing an explosion. What say?

And neither can Shell rule out possibility of explosion due to making a payment...

[Warwithwheels]

Are you trying to say that pulling out my credit card at a fuel station carries the same risk as using a mobile phone in the same environment? That's quite hard to digest.

Legally then every little thing that I carry with me to a fuel station should carry such a warning. I still believe that there is something special in mobile phones that makes it more risky than the rest.