Mobile phones in petrol stations

[DiscoStu]

I was sitting in my car writing a text whilst my girlfriend filled the car up with fuel (she's very helpful!). She then got on to me about 'using my phone in a petrol station' even though I was inside the car. Whether I was right or wrong by doing this is not my point.

What I want to know is: has there actually ever been an explosion due to a mobile phone or is it just an urban myth to make us all worry? I've never seen a spark come off my mobile! And surely there must be other, more dangerous, things that go on day to day on forecourts?

[v64paul]

officially there is a risk from static electricity discharge. the static having built up naturally as it does and shorting to earth. early phones were also thought to interfere with the pumps in as much they messed with the equipment in the shop as it were and gave false readings in respect of how much fuel dispensed and so on. intrinsically safe phones are available and are used in the shell terminal near me, it's the biggest of it's kind in the u.k. and shell dont mess where safety is concerned. even the average car alarm key fob is banned within the terminal, the reason behind all this is if you drop a battery powered object and it breaks, the battery could cause a spark. i have gone on too long as usual, but having seen the induction video; i'd rather be safe than burnt to a cinder...

[Gef]

It is an urban myth. Extensive testing has shown that it is not possible for a mobile phone (under normal useage) to produce a spark and ignite petrol vapour. In fact, it was revealed a while ago that some petrol stations have mobile phone masts inside their large forecourt signs.

[KebabMeister]

It's still a topic that's being looked at by scientists/technicians.  One side say there is a risk of causing an explosion due to the flashpoint of the fuel (at the RAF bases I worked at they strictly prohibited mobile phones in aviation fuel areas for this reason).

On the other side, some say there is no risk whatsoever.  However, I tend to be a bit cautious and it's no big deal switching your phone off at petrol stations.

[Loosehead]

I'm with Gef complete urban myth. I was once at garage recently, I had just paid and as I was walking back to my car and the phone rang, I answered it and was alarmed at the extraordinary panic it induced in the dozy girl in the kiosk, she sprinted out and screamed at me, something about it being illegal and that I was about to cause armeggedon. So I stepped one pace so that I was on the normal pavement not at all on the forcourt a distance of about 1 ft! So I can cause armgeddon on the forcourt but 1 ft away I'm ok, right oh!

[twiglet4frog]

urban myth of sorts, older phones might have posed a risk but new ones are not dangerous, they are on likely to cause an explosion if both in direct contact with fuel vapour of a great concentration (like an inch from the petrol tank entrance hole as u are pumping) and even then, u would have to bang the battery pack very very hard to cause any form of spark from the battery terminals connecting. This is very hard to do with a newer mobile.

My advice is dont hold a mobile in your hand when u are pumping!

[Oneeyedvic]

The series 'BRaniacs' on Sky One featured this urban myth.

They put around 10 mobiles in a caravan doused with petrol and rang them to no avail.

They then showed that sparks from materials (a shell suit) can easily cause an explosion.

[DiscoStu]

Thanks guys, I knew I was right! ;)

But what I REALLY want to know is- has there ever actually BEEN an explosion due to mobiles? If not, why were mobiles singled out?

[facey123]

As far as I'm aware, there has never been an explosion due to using a mobile phone at a garage. Surely the spark from an engine as it fires up is more likely to cause an explosion than you texting!

[UsAndStuff]

I saw the mythbuster item on this too, the only real explanation they could come up with is that in America alot of the fuel pumps lock on, so you can walk around when the car is filling up, and they found that a lot of the causes of the fires were women with the clothing they were wearing building up a static charge, the next thing they touch would be the petrol filler nozzle, create a spark and then BOOM!
They found the mobile phones to be a myth.