Why You Should Not Leave Your Engine Running While Filling Fuel
A few days ago this was shared on social media. A car owner left his car engine running idle while filling up fuel at the petrol station in Seri Kembangan and his car caught on fire. In the incident which happened about 8 pm, the victim a Gan Shuh Long, age 31, was lightly burned in several areas of his body.
Assistant Director of Selangor Fire Operation, Hafisham Mohd. Noor said, his department received the emergency call about 8.11 pm.
He added that a team from the Fire and Rescue Department and officials from Serdang Fire Station rushed to the scene at the Petron Fuel Station.
′′ Arrival at the incident, members found an Audi car burned right next to a petrol pump in the Petron petrol station.
′′ The fire had moved around some 10 per cent on the right side of the car’s back door and it had affected about 30 per cent on the fuel pumps surface,”
According to Hafisham the victim was sent to Serdang Hospital for further treatment.
Further review, he said, the early investigation of his side found the incident was due to the negligence of the victim who did not switch off the car engine while filling up with fuel at the petrol pump.
Refueling a running vehicle increases the chances of gas vapors coming into contact with heat or electricity. Anytime you top off your vehicle petrol tank, there is a chance the petrol pump’s automatic stop mechanism might fail, causing your fuel tank to overflow and spatter petrol onto the ground around you and your vehicle. In this case, it is best you are going to be standing next to a vehicle, to make sure that is turned off, as a running engine increases the chances of fire.
Some petrol station signs even include a warning that drivers should discharge static electricity before fueling. Often, those who leave the engine running will re-enter the vehicle during the wait to escape the weather. Re-entering and exiting a running vehicle increases your chances of picking up static electricity, especially during periods of cold and dry weather. If the driver goes to remove the nozzle, the static may discharge at the fuel point, causing a flash fire.
Though the chance of either event is slim, ignition is possible, and when it does happen, the results can be catastrophic. For the sake of your wallet and your safety, it is best to just shut down your vehicle during refueling.
