Lights off at petrol stations?

InvaderGIR · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:13

I vote that we have to push our cars from ~50meters away to the pumps, to ensure no electrical items can set a fire. :/

Jonnycoupe · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:17

[TW]Fox;14804962 said:
And surely turning electrics on and off is the bigger risk than leaving them on?

Why are so many retards working in positions of authority in this country?

Exactly.

You should go in again and refuse to fillup until the forecourt lights have all been turned off and dont move your car until they do so

Matt82 · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:23

InvaderGIR said:
I vote that we have to push our cars from ~50meters away to the pumps, to ensure no electrical items can set a fire. :/

we should do it naked... static electricity can kill

Matt82 · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:24

starting the car to drive away, a nice high tension circuit there

iaind · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:27

I think a lot of people are missing the point.

The risks are very small, nobody ever argued otherwise. Some risks are very simple to eliminate, so why not eliminate them (mobiles, lights, engine running, smoking etc).

Others (clothes, starter motors) are not at all practical to eliminate..

PiKe · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:32

On Brainiac, they soaked a caravan in petrol, chucked a dozen mobile phones in then rang them all at once.

Nothing happened.

iaind · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:34

iaind said:
I think a lot of people are missing the point.

Congratulations, one more.

Again - the risk is TINY, but why is it worth the risk? Why would a phone call be so important that you cant wait 2 minutes?

[TW]Fox · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:51

iaind said:
I think a lot of people are missing the point.

No, I think YOU are missing the point.

The risks are very small, nobody ever argued otherwise. Some risks are very simple to eliminate, so why not eliminate them (mobiles, lights, engine running, smoking etc).

Why does no other petrol station in the country require that sidelights are turned off when filling up if it is a fire risk?

Why did the attend tell me it was because of fuel theft if it was actually a fire risk?

Matt82 · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:55

i do love the "lights off engine running" idea though

iaind · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:56

[TW]Fox;14805267 said:
No, I think YOU are missing the point.

Why does no other petrol station in the country require that sidelights are turned off when filling up if it is a fire risk?

Why did the attend tell me it was because of fuel theft if it was actually a fire risk?

I've already said it sounded like she was being unreasonable.

I believe the signs on the forecourt will say all electrical equipment should be switched off - last time I checked lights were electric.

I've already explained your last question. The policy/rules will say electrical equipment should be off for fire safety - she quite possibly has misinterpreted this or had it relayed to her wrongly. Either that, or something made her suspicious of you and she was using the lights thing as an excuse.
I strongly suspect the former though.

The discussion deviated onto other items, such as mobile phones - and nobody seemed to understand the point that the risk isnt worth taking in that sort of environment, no matter how small you feel it might be

[TW]Fox · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:59

iaind said:
The discussion deviated onto other items, such as mobile phones - and nobody seemed to understand the point that the risk isnt worth taking in that sort of environment, no matter how small you feel it might be

I agree. Staff members should come out to the road and push our vehicles onto the forecourt with the battery terminals disconnected. It's a small risk, but its not worth taking.

Jonnycoupe · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:03

iaind said:
I think a lot of people are missing the point.

The risks are very small, nobody ever argued otherwise. Some risks are very simple to eliminate, so why not eliminate them (mobiles, lights, engine running, smoking etc).

Others (clothes, starter motors) are not at all practical to eliminate..

The risk analysis needs reviewing then.

Which part of a lighting system is most likely to cause a spark? Ah yes the point where circuits are opened or broken, switches or relays triggering. Not left on.

Jonnycoupe · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:03

PiKe said:
On Brainiac, they soaked a caravan in petrol, chucked a dozen mobile phones in then rang them all at once.

Nothing happened.

There wasn't a piece of metal of a similar length to the wavelength of a mobile phone radio frequency though.... or should i say a petrol nozzle.

iaind · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:41

[TW]Fox;14805330 said:
I agree. Staff members should come out to the road and push our vehicles onto the forecourt with the battery terminals disconnected. It's a small risk, but its not worth taking.

My point was about what is practical - that suggestion is obviously ludicrous, and said in jest to make a point but it clearly wouldnt be practical. Not making a phone call takes very little effort - in fact, less effort than making it in the first place - so why not?

86JR · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:49

Asda do £70 max at their pumps. But luckily i can only rinse £56 whilst the car tells me it has 20 miles of fuel left.

I think its to stop ****** coming fueling up all their cars using stolen cards ?

Biohazard · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:57

mjt said:
wow, that's rather unsafe.

Seriously, there is a one in a billion chance of that actually causing anything.

I will quite happily use RF equipment too.

matt_fsr · 3 Sep 2009 at 12:58

Was down saaarfh near Oxford recently, got out of my car, had the drivers door open to get some air through the car as I filled up - pump didnt work, got a tinny announcement to shut my door before they'd serve fuel.

Bizarre.

Firestar_3x · 3 Sep 2009 at 13:00

Its all about ALARP i'm affraid.

iaind · 3 Sep 2009 at 13:04

matt_fsr said:
Was down saaarfh near Oxford recently, got out of my car, had the drivers door open to get some air through the car as I filled up - pump didnt work, got a tinny announcement to shut my door before they'd serve fuel.

Bizarre.

Not bizarre at all - 99% of the time if someone is going to drive off without paying, they'll leave the door open

Biohazard · 3 Sep 2009 at 13:06

I would just refuse to be a customer then.

I could brim the car, walk in pick up a porno and some chocolate walk straight back out to the car and spin off. Are they going to confront me? Very unlikely.

Will keeping doors shut, engines off, lights off, sunroofs open etc etc help this? Will it ****.

Where someone wants to thief they will, and I for one will not be made to look or act like a **** because of it. It is the companies problem, not mine.