why are mobile phone's baned from petrol forecourts?

Answer 1

Because of urban lore, a belief that handset transmissions might set-up some sort of electro-static discharge that might ignite fuel in storage tanks, causing an explosion.

There is no engineering or physics basis for this premise, but the convincing thing is that there are exactly zero documented occurrences of such a thing. (If mobile phones were genuinely capable of this, given the hundreds of millions of handsets in use, it would've happened many times all over the world, by now.)

Even so, many mobile handset makers still include fuel-related warnings in their user manuals, that proliferate and seemingly lend credibility to this myth.

My guess is we can thank the corporate attorneys, who dismiss scientiffic and statistical proof as inconsequential details, preferring instead to avert potential liability by warning consumers of any and all risks, real or imagined.

Perhaps someday all consumers of oxygen will file a class action against the legal profession, for all the trees squandered to publish 'warnings' that are complete and utter BS, all in the name of 'playing it safe'.

Answer 2

So 20Dub06 you say with such conviction that causing an explosion is a myth, how can you be so sure. What is the difference between a myth and a mythter? If a myth is a figment of collective imaginations, is a mythter the truth?

Incidentally, when you turn on your car engine, do you set off any little electrical sparks that could cause an explosion? We haven't always had spark plugs covered and insulated, pre MOT days with some cars the spark released was the strongest item on the whole engine, I have seen engine blocks covered in blue electrical flame, but the forecourt didn't explode............

Answer 3

Its because some idiots think the tiny electrical charge emitted by a mobile when ion use could start a fire by igniting the petrol fumes. I have always disagreed, and on one episode of Brainiac, they filled a shed with canister after canister of petrol, and even doused petrol over everything. They then placed about 50 phones in the shed, rang them all, and nothing. But the they put more phones in and eventually it blew up.

Answer 4

It is nothing to do with radio waves. Radio waves can induce a current if they reach a wire, but this would be very low and still no spark. ZERO risk.

It is to do with the risk of a spark within the phone or battery connections. The chances are very low and only really feasible if the phone is on your hip as fumes exit the tank, when you fill up. These fumes are already at a good oxygen ratio, with vapourised fumes. (dont breath in, very bad for you). and if you hip phone rang, with a slightly loose battery or internal circuit then BANG.

This risk is no higher than power wiring under the car bonnet, but the can not be account for.

The risk is still millions to 1, but with the number of cars on the road, it would and does happen 1 or 2 times a year.

Answer 5

There are signs and indications on maximum forecourts asserting 'No cellular telephones'. the assumption is that - a technique or the different - making use of a telephone next to the petrol ought to reason an explosion. inspite of the undeniable fact that, there has on no account been any incident the place this befell so some distance as i understand. So the question is - do you sense fortunate? nicely, do ya?

Answer 6

As a petroleum industry professional I can tell you there is a risk, because accidents have happened. Explosions have been caused by people answering their mobile whilst filling a vehicle. The worst case scenario is if a phone is dropped and the battery detaches. This can cause a nice fat spark at ground level. And petrol vapour is heavier than air.

Answer 7

It is supposed to be risk of ingniting petrol but I doubt this is really the case as it is a 1 in a million shot. I would suggest it is also to keep the flow of traffic moving through as people do thinks much slower when on the phone.

Answer 8

Linda M's answer is pretty close to the mark. Back in the 80s when CB was the in thing some people were using illegal power levels and the early electronic pumps could be upset. There is of course a risk of sparks, but there is a much MUCH bigger source of sparks in the car engine as you drive away

Answer 9

There is this belief, and the mobile phones manufacturers seem to be behind it, that mobile phones cause tiny sparks when in communication. Hence, in the user manual they tell you to turn off your mobile when entering a petrol/gas station.

However, I have seen an episode of Myth Busters on the Discovery channel where they totally busted this myth. They submerged a mobile phone in gasoline and kept calling it. Lo and behold, nothing happened.

I believe that mobile phone manufacturers came up with this fallacy as a protection of any potential lawsuits claiming that a fire was started due to the usage of their mobile phones.

I wonder!

Answer 10

They are scared that the petrol fumes will spark from the radio waves coming from your handset. Could cause a big explosion and cause the forecourt staff to get off their backsides to rearrange their floral displays and restack the drums of screenwash, the newspapers will all get blown away so they will forget about them.