Should you use a Mobile Phone in a Filling Station?

A visit to a fueling station always has some warning. There is the sign showing no smoking, stop the engine, and the one below that warns customers to turn off all electronic equipment including cellular phones.



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It is a widely held belief that the electromagnetic radiation responsible for the communication between a cell phone and the tower is capable of igniting fuel vapour directly or cause an induction of current that could trigger sparks that had the capability of igniting the fuel causing an explosion from the resulting fire.

How True are these Claims?

The cell phones are low-power RF (radio frequency) transmitters in the range of 450 to 2700 megahertz, MHz) and the power peaks at between 0.1 to 2 watts. This is because cell phones and base stations use low-power transmitters. But is this enough to cause an explosion by igniting fuel vapour?

The science said no due to the devices emitting very little energy of about 1 watt per cm².

But there is still a risk of a spark caused by a phone's defective battery. This chance ( though an unlikely to happen) could also occur in the case of the car's battery. The possibility is remote but why do we have such signs?

The legal side of the defence has it that the sign is usually put up as the fulfilment of duty to warn customers of a latent risk. The sign reduces the chance of foreseeable accident which details that a plaintiff should have thought twice before engaging in a risky behaviour and exonerating the fueling stations from being liable for damages or compensation.

Mythbusters did a video here where they confirmed that it was a myth but named another culprit to the fires; static electricity.

Static Electricity, the Culprit?

The report from the Petroleum Equipment Institute, showed there have been over 200 documented incidents at petrol stations related to fires or explosions at filling stations caused static electricity, but they have been unable to link anyone to cell phones.

Cell phones continue to be cited as causing fires at the pump in e-mails circulating on the Internet. So far we have been unable to document any incidents that were sparked by a cellular telephone. ^Source

What is static electricity?

Electric charge that has accumulated on an object. Static electricity is often created when two objects that are not good electrical conductors are rubbed together, and electrons from one of the objects rub off onto the other. ^Source

Static electricity is that thing that shocks you after you drag your feet against the rug carpet. It is capable of igniting fuel vapour as you could see in this video here.


Ways to prevent fire due to static electric during fueling

1. Fill portable containers on the ground and never in or on your vehicle. The container may have a static charge that would be absorbed by the earth. See my article on electric earth and how it works here.

2. If you are the one pumping the gas, release static charges as you get out of the car by just by using your bare hands to touch the metal top of your vehicle.

3. If a fire ensues, leave the nozzle in the car as removing it spreads the fire even faster causing more harm to people around.

4. Also on a self-service pump, never re-enter your car till you are through with pumping.

According to the Petroleum Equipment Institute website in July 2016, fire incidence due to static electricity had not been reported to them since 2010 due to an onboard vapour recovery system adopted in passenger vehicles. But it is better safe than be sorry.

There is a town in the USA, Green Bank, West Virginia with a population of about 143 where it is illegal for all wireless signals.

That means no phones, Bluetooth, radio or Wi-Fi.

The reason is it is where Green Bank (a 13,000 square foot) National Radio Quiet Zone is located.

The FCC wanted to protect the government telescope (Green Bank Telescope) a big steerable telescope from man-made interference.

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Fun Fact

Conclusion

Since there is a chance that it may prove to be dangerous in using your cell phone so why not behave like the good people of Green Bank and keep away from your phone during the during of the fueling? The people of Green Bank wouldn't have to worry about whether to use the cellphone or not in filling stations since they do not have one :)

More Resource on this: 1,2,3,4.

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