Thai Energy Office warns motorists of danger of mobile phone use at petrol stations

[webfact]

Motorists warned of danger of mobile phone use at petrol stations

BANGKOK: -- The Energy Policy and Planning Office yesterday reiterated the danger of using mobile phones by motorists while getting their vehicles filling up tanks at petrol station.

The warning came as a video clip showing a motorcycle caught fire instantly as a mobile phone call rang while having his vehicle filled, was widely shared on the internet.

The incident happened at Thanapol petrol station located on Chiang Mai-Doi Saket road in Chiang Mai on March 14 at 5.35 pm, Thairath Online reported.

On the clip, the owner of the motorcycle is seen arriving to fill his tank but had left his hand-phone underneath his seat.

As the tank was being filled, a call came in on his phone and suddenly the fire was ignited.

Fortunately, the filling station’s well-trained employee managed to avoid a catastrophe. He kept his wits and rushed to retrieve a fire-extinguisher and prevented the flames from spreading.

The patrol station manager Ms Jamrak Guntawin later said the fire was found to be ignited by mobile phone call after the owner of the motorcycle took his vehicle to wash.

As he pulled out the seat, a mobile phone connected to a power bank was underneath. The phone caught fire by an incoming call while the phone was in the charging process.

In response to the clip, Channel 9 quoted director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office, also the spokesman for the Ministry of Energy, Mr Tawarat Sutabutra, as warning all Thai motorists to switch off their mobile phones when filling up with fuel or automotive gases.

This includes any device that could trigger a spark which will likely ignite the flammable fumes, he said.

The Ministry of Energy has made it mandatory for all petrol stations in the county to post signs that require all motorists to switch off their engines and under no circumstances smoke or use their mobile devices while filling up with fuel, he added.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/155617


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-18

[phoenixdoglover]

I'm skeptical of the purported cause of the fire.

Edited March 17, 2016 by phoenixdoglover

[leeneeds]

There are a few videos of mobiles having ignited fumes, as to the models

I have no idea, suffice to say that there is a potential hazard of ignition,

Warning message !

don't drink and drive , doubt it

don't use the mobile while driving , doubt it ,

make sure its safe to overtake, doubt it ,

do not use your mobile while filling up, doubt it

do not charge your mobile while filling up doubt it,

Heed the message, doubt it

[DM07]

I call BS on this!

https://youtu.be/VjrkwxMhc4s

[Wilsonandson]

I call BS on this!

Mythbusters

Edited March 18, 2016 by Wilsonandson

[Melyn]

There are plenty of cases of cars being set ablaze at filling stations due to static electricity sparks when filling up. It doesn't take much. Look at spark plugs or piezoelectric ignition.

[stevenl]

I think the power bank may have played a part here.

[tomyumchai]

its static from the tank rim to the fuel nozzle.

[recom273]

Mythbusters could be dismissed as interesting TV .. But I'm sure it has been independently proven that telephones can't cause an explosion. No more than static electricity or sparks from metal protectors on the soles of your boots.

Sounds like a cheap Chinese power bank that carries a hell of a lot of current.

Edited March 18, 2016 by recom273

[BlindMagician]

Need to check their science first. It would need sufficient concentration of fumes, an energetic enough spark, plus heat eg from a running engine. An incoming call can increase current demand, but where is the spark coming from? Poor connection?

Flammability of the fuel under std Thai atmos conditions?

Unlikely matey.

[Thian]

Yup it might be static or just a copycopy powerbank/cellphone from that big mall in BKK. Maybe that phone was on vibrating ?

[fishhooks]

Why, warning just now?

The rest of the world has been warned ever since Mobile Phones came in the form of those MOTOROLA units the size of a small suitcase were around {They used to be called "Mobile Bricks") and I'm speaking of at least 40-50 years ago.

[English 1]

Waste of time trying to tell know it all Thai anything.

[NextStationBangkok]

Bad luck day for customer. Quick act by brave staff!

I have seen number of people using mobile at gas station while filling the gas, some taxis even make us sit inside car while refilling LPG . Have to be careful and watchful.

[Muhendis]

Why, warning just now?

The rest of the world has been warned ever since Mobile Phones came in the form of those MOTOROLA units the size of a small suitcase were around {They used to be called "Mobile Bricks") and I'm speaking of at least 40-50 years ago.

The rest of the world has been worrying about mobile 'phones near fuel pumps because they may adversely affect the electronics in the pump and thus reduce the price of the fuel.

[Thongkorn]

I'm skeptical of the purported cause of the fire.

Working in the Petrochemical industry. Static . Dropping the. Phone causing sparks. Not concentrating on what you are doing while on a phone. The list goes. On ..

[cumgranosalum]

Only in Thailand - phones can't start a fire - period.

Edited March 18, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[highonthai]

I'm sure it was the way he had the charger wired into the bike battery, twisted wire and just taped together, Shorted/Sparked and caused the fire.

I'd bet on it.

[cumgranosalum]

I'm skeptical of the purported cause of the fire.

Working in the Petrochemical industry. Static . Dropping the. Phone causing sparks. Not concentrating on what you are doing while on a phone. The list goes. On ..

this doesn't just apply to phones - the theory of static from phones is bunkum.

The problem with phones was that retailers at self serve stations were worried that the phones would interfere with either the digital pumps or the office tills.

astey don't have self serve stations in Thailand, it is a moot point.

Edited March 18, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[jmccarty]

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-devices-gas-stations

Likely a cigarette. The starter relay is more likely to ignite fumes than a mobile phone. Best action is to leave the vehicle running. But then spilling petrol all over a running motorcycle engine also has its hazards.

[cumgranosalum]

Can they light a fart I wonder

Try it....successful or not the video will go viral...........

[Froggybanrai]

For a start it would be nice if PTT (and probably others) trained their staff about this. Several times I've had to prevent some to use their phone while filling my tank...

[cumgranosalum]

For a start it would be nice if PTT (and probably others) trained their staff about this. Several times I've had to prevent some to use their phone while filling my tank...

Nothing to train...it's a MYTH

[cumgranosalum]

I think the ministry has got their ideas mixed up...."petroleum spirit' and "phi" as in spirit or ghost............so long as you have a fetish of some kind it is as likely to be effective as your phone is dangerous in the first place.........

[cumgranosalum]

I guess the lesson to learn from this is how unreliable videos are s "evidence" - seeing is NOT believing and the conclusion is confusing association with causation...... but what do you expect from people who seem totally unqualified to do their job?

Edited March 18, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[Thongkorn]

I'm skeptical of the purported cause of the fire.

Working in the Petrochemical industry. Static . Dropping the. Phone causing sparks. Not concentrating on what you are doing while on a phone. The list goes. On ..

this doesn't just apply to phones - the theory of static from phones is bunkum.

The problem with phones was that retailers at self serve stations were worried that the phones would interfere with either the digital pumps or the office tills.

astey don't have self serve stations in Thailand, it is a moot point.

As said before worked in the Petrochemical Industry for 40 years . Phones do not interfere with digital pumps. They are encoded to stop exactly this.

[cumgranosalum]

I'm skeptical of the purported cause of the fire.

Working in the Petrochemical industry. Static . Dropping the. Phone causing sparks. Not concentrating on what you are doing while on a phone. The list goes. On ..

this doesn't just apply to phones - the theory of static from phones is bunkum.

The problem with phones was that retailers at self serve stations were worried that the phones would interfere with either the digital pumps or the office tills.

astey don't have self serve stations in Thailand, it is a moot point.

As said before worked in the Petrochemical Industry for 40 years . Phones do not interfere with digital pumps. They are encoded to stop exactly this.

Yes they are - which is why in Europe nobody worries about using phone on forecourts any more - 25 years in retail and nearly 50 in real life.

[LukKrueng]

I call BS on this!

Mythbusters

Seems like the best (or maybe the only) solution is to ground the car during fueling - as is done when fueling an airplane....

[cumgranosalum]

There are a few videos of mobiles having ignited fumes, as to the models

I have no idea, suffice to say that there is a potential hazard of ignition,

Warning message !

don't drink and drive , doubt it

don't use the mobile while driving , doubt it ,

make sure its safe to overtake, doubt it ,

do not use your mobile while filling up, doubt it

do not charge your mobile while filling up doubt it,

Heed the message, doubt it

ALL those videos are inaccurate.

If this fire was in any way connected to the phone it was probably down to the charger and how it was either connected to the bike or by disconnecting from the phone - it was also about 3 inches from the open tank.

[Bobotie]

I guess the lesson to learn from this is how unreliable videos are s "evidence" - seeing is NOT believing and the conclusion is confusing association with causation...... but what do you expect from people who seem totally unqualified to do their job?

Who are you referring to, people from the Thai energy office or the self proclaimed Thai visa resident experts on every subject under the sun ?