Static electricity and filling the petrol tank:
Static electricity can initiate from ungrounded petrol tanks or containers, from flowing
petrol, and from persons carrying a static electric charge
Static electricity can explosively ignite petrol vapours are present during the fuelling process,
resulting in serious burns to nearby persons. To avoid static electricity while fuelling, certain steps
must be followed before and during the fuelling process in order to minimize and safely dissipate
static charge build-up:
• Touch a grounded metal object before starting. Always dissipate static charge from your
body before beginning the fuelling process by touching a grounded metal object at a safe
distance away from fuel sources.
• Use a portable container to fill tank. Never fill the generator’s gas tank directly from the fuel
pump – the generator's tank is not grounded and the high velocity flow of petrol from a fuel
pump can cause static electric build-up. Use an approved portable container to transfer petrol
to the generator's tank.
• Fill container on the ground. Never fill the portable gas container while it is sitting inside a
vehicle, trailer, trunk, or pick-up truck bed. ALWAYS place container on the ground to be
filled.
• Keep nozzle in contact with container. Keep nozzle in contact with the portable container at
all times while filling. Manually control the flow of petrol; do not use the nozzle's lock- open
device.
• Use a portable container made of metal or conductive plastic. It will dissipate charge to
ground more readily.
About static electricity and fuelling
Many common objects can accumulate and retain a static electric charge. Objects made of
nonconductive materials (e.g. plastics) easily accumulate and retain static electric charge, as can
objects made of conductive material (e.g. metal, water) if they are not electrically grounded. The
static electric charge on an object, such as a human body or plastic fuel tank/container, can reach as
high as several thousand volts!
A static electric spark can be generated if the static electric charge stored on an object “jumps” to
another, less charged object. Such a spark can ignite invisible petrol vapours that are present during
fuelling situations.
Typical sources of static electric hazards during fuelling
The following objects can accumulate a static electric charge and cause an ignition spark in typical
fuelling situations:
1) Ungrounded tanks/containers. Any ungrounded fuel tank or container can accumulate a static
electricity as a result of contact with other objects or friction during transportation. This
static electricity can discharge as a spark to the grounded petrol dispenser nozzle, as the nozzle
is first brought close to the tank/container at the beginning of the fuelling process.
2) Flowing petrol Most people are not aware that petrol accumulates in the charge while flowing
through a hose or pipe. This charge then transfers to and accumulates in the gas tank or
container that is being filled. The total amount of charge accumulation depends on the
amount of gas pumped into the container, the speed with which it is pumped, and whether or
not the tank/container is grounded. If sufficient static electric charge accumulates in the fuel
tank or container during the fuelling process, the tank/container may discharge a spark to the
grounded petrol dispenser nozzle.
3) Persons A person dispensing the petrol can carry a static electric charge on their body,
typically resulting from contact with their car seat or electronics. The static electricity can
discharge as a spark between that person’s hand and either the grounded dispenser nozzle or
the fuel tank opening.
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