Filling up your car’s fuel tank is an unavoidable task and is oftentimes the most mundane task that you perform on that day. But one should not be callous while refuelling their cars and must be completely aware of his or her surroundings in order to avoid an accident or a mishap.
Top 8 Safety Measures to Follow at a Petrol Pump
The following safety measures must be followed at a petrol station to ensure that no untoward incident happens -
1. Supervise your kids if they are present at the gas station
- It is important that you instruct your children to be in a safe place while refuelling your car – their safety must be your highest priority.
- Ensure that they do not fiddle with anything or create any nuisance or distraction as one small slip-up can have dire consequences to not just their lives but the lives and property of others.
2. Turn off the engine
- There are also small amounts of fuel vapour displaced from your tank by the liquid fuel. If your vehicle engine is left running, it presents potential sources of fuel igniters such as the sparks from the vehicle exhaust pipe. Therefore, the engine must be turned off once you enter your slot to fill the fuel. Do so before the attendant comes to refuel the car.
- This precaution must be taken in order to ensure that even the slightest possibility of the fuel dribbling from the nozzle and posing the threat of fire is prevented. Also, make sure to keep the keys of your vehicle away from the ignition. You should not start the engine while refueling the tank.
- This is done to ensure that someone doesn’t accidentally turn the keys, thereby ending up starting the engine while you are still in the process of getting your car refueled.
3. Stay away from fire
- A fuel station has a lot of combustible material posing a threat of ignition at the drop of a matchstick. Therefore, do not use any item that could potentially light this material up – a cigarette, a lighter, etc.
4. Switch off your cell phone
- Cell phones emit radiation and on a sunny day might heat up and explode causing a potential catastrophe in the fuel station. So be sure that you switch off your phone at the fuel station.
5. Do not smoke or light a matchstick
- There is a massive threat of ignition of combustible material at the station so avoid lighting a smoke or a matchstick.
- Avoid undertaking any activity that will create static electricity at the fuel station, for it can create sparks and start a fire.
6. Do not handle petrol inside the car
- Do not keep any extra fuel containers inside your car. However, if you have to do so because the circumstances demand it, keep it in a properly sealed container made of metal or plastic that is approved and labelled by a reliable authority, so as to prevent leakage.
- Please refrain from disposing of unwanted petrol on any open surface like a drain, a park, or a water body close to your house. If you are not aware of the safe disposal methods, then consult the staff at a local petrol station to learn how to safely do it.
- Also, when filling a portable container, manually control the nozzle valve throughout the process. Fill the portable container slowly to decrease the chance of static electricity build-up and minimize spilling or splattering. Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the container opening while refueling.
7. Beware of thieves
- Always be vigilant at the fuel station as you never know when someone might come along and steal belongings in your car through a rolled-down window or half-opened door.
- Preferably have someone in the car on the lookout or ensure that your eyes and ears are open while refuelling your car.
8. Do not forget your belongings
- In the process of taking your car out of the fuel station as the impatient driver behind you is honking, do not forget your belongings in the station itself. For example, do not leave your cell phone at the top of the car and drive off.
- Do not leave your credit or debit card with the attendant. Do not forget to close the lid of the fuel tank after refuelling.
Conclusion
Being alert is the most important safety tip that a person must keep in mind while refuelling his or her car at the fuel station. Follow the safety measures given above to ensure that your experience at the station is pleasant and bereft of any untoward incident.
Also, purchase car insurance policy online is a mandatory policy that covers the cost of damage caused to your car due to unforeseen events such as theft, collision, etc. in future.
