Fire Hazard from Fire Filling Portable Gas Can In vehichle

• In incidents reported to NIOSH in the US, firesspontaneously ignited when workers or others attempted to fill portablegasoline containers (gas cans) in the backs of pickup trucks equipped withplastic bed liners or in cars with carpeted surfaces. Serious skin burns andother injuries resulted.

• These fires result from the buildup ofstatic electricity. The insulating effect of the bed liner or carpetprevents the static charged generated by gasoline flowing into the container orother sources from grounding. The discharge of this buildup to the groundedgasoline dispenser nozzle may cause a spark and ignite the gasoline.

• Both ungrounded metal (most hazardous) and plastic gascontainers have been involved in these incidents, a NIOSH Hazard ID said.

Recommendations for prevention
Construction workers and others in small businesses who often work withgasoline powered equipment commonly use portable gas containers. Homeowners usegas cans for their landmowers and other equipment.

• Avoid the hazardouspractice of leaving the portable gas containers in trucks or cars whenrefueling

• Before filling, remove thecontainers from the vehicle and place them on the ground at a safe distancefrom the vehicle (provides path to dissipate static charge to ground)

• Touch the container withthe gas dispenser nozzle before removing the container lid (provides anotherpath to dissipate static charge to ground)

• Keep the nozzle in contactwith the container inlet when filling (to dissipate static charge buildup fromflow of gasoline)

Additional prevention measures include:

• Manufacturers or retailers- place a hazard label on all plastic liners being sold warning workers not tofill portable gas containers in the bed liner of the truck but always to placethe containers on the ground before filling

• Gas stations - display awarning notice near gas pumps to place all portable gas containers on theground before filling

• Manufacturers - build bedliners that can be grounded to the metal truck, thereby dissipating potentialelectrostatic charge