Report about heavy fine for using cellphones at gas stations is untrue

[webfact]

Report about heavy fine for using cellphones at gas stations is untrue



BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Energy has dismissed as untrue a report which has been circulating in the social media that anyone who uses mobile phone or who does not switch off the engine of his/her car while being refueled at gas stations will face a fine of 100,000 baht and/or one-year imprisonment.

Mr Vitoon Kulcharoenvirat, director-general of Energy Business Department of the Ministry of Energy, said Tuesday that the report was completely groundless and might cause public panic. He pleaded with netizens to stop sharing the false report.

He, however, said that the Energy Business Department has strict regulations governing the owners of gas stations and their employees, oil depots, oil trucks and LPG stores.

The regulations require gas station to have, at least, one personnel who has a license to work at the premise to take care of safety problem and whose duty is to warn motorists to switch off the engines of their cars and not to use cellphones at gas stations, Mr Vitoon explained.

In case a motorist shuns the warning, the station assistant can reject service for the motorist, he said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/165500


-- Thai PBS 2016-06-01

[Valentine]

Fairly sensible way to go.

[colinneil]

Nobody turns off their mobiles at filling stations.

How would such a rule ever be enforced?

Do filling station employees ever tell people to stop using their phones?

Answer is no, everybody thinks it is ok to use their phones, never thinking about the danger.

[SABloke]

Well "technically" speaking, using your phone while operating a vehicle is illegal already so one shouldn't be using a phone anyway

[graemeaylward]

Clearly doesn't apply to staff filling up vehicles at petrol stations. Filled up on Sunday at a well known brand petrol station (which has a blue flame as its logo) where the attendant didn't speak to us as she was too busy having a conversation on her mobile! Not only dangerous, but extremely rude!

[Artisi]

Nobody turns off their mobiles at filling stations.

How would such a rule ever be enforced?

Do filling station employees ever tell people to stop using their phones?

Answer is no, everybody thinks it is ok to use their phones, never thinking about the danger.

Would you like to research the dangers of cell / mobile phones in gas filling stations before making unsubstantuated claims.

[deckape]

I think mobile phones are intrinsically safe, which means there should be no problem using them around hydrocarbon vapors.

The real danger is to start fueling, sit in your car for a second, then go back and touch the fueling hose...the static charge you generate sitting down can arc on the fueling hose. Usually this kind of fire is started by Mothers checking on babies while fueling.

[stevenl]

Clearly doesn't apply to staff filling up vehicles at petrol stations. Filled up on Sunday at a well known brand petrol station (which has a blue flame as its logo) where the attendant didn't speak to us as she was too busy having a conversation on her mobile! Not only dangerous, but extremely rude!

Rude, yes, dangerous, no.

[Caveat Emptor]

So all these little family stations out in the sticks have a properly licensed person to ensure all sorts of things ?

How many of the stations run by the big companies actually do too ?

I suppose there's a regular check conducted to ensure compliance.

[Beats56]

I think mobile phones are intrinsically safe, which means there should be no problem using them around hydrocarbon vapors.

The real danger is to start fueling, sit in your car for a second, then go back and touch the fueling hose...the static charge you generate sitting down can arc on the fueling hose. Usually this kind of fire is started by Mothers checking on babies while fueling.

Had the same problem in Canada where it self serve.

Start filling the tank and get back in the car especially if it is in the winter and wait for the gas nozzle to click off when tank is full. Maybe not much of as Hazzard in the winter but for sure in the summer when more vapors will.be present

Edited June 1, 2016 by Beats56

[Khun Paul]

I like the idea of a safety person however most bus drivers and lorry drivers as well as the majority of car drivers I see, NEVER switch off their vehicles while filling up even the RTP do not in Udon where I fill up, so the law is ignored by even the people who are supposed to enforce it. GO THAILAND, land of ignorant law breakers.

[FloridaExport]

I think mobile phones are intrinsically safe, which means there should be no problem using them around hydrocarbon vapors.

The real danger is to start fueling, sit in your car for a second, then go back and touch the fueling hose...the static charge you generate sitting down can arc on the fueling hose. Usually this kind of fire is started by Mothers checking on babies while fueling.

Had the same problem in Canada where it self serve.

Start filling the tank and get back in the car especially if it is in the winter and wait for the gas nozzle to click off when tank is full. Maybe not much of as Hazzard in the winter but for sure in the summer when more vapors will.be present

I think the opposite is actually true. In the winter, the air tends to be very dry. This can lead to static build up. In the summer (99.99% of the year in Thailand), the humidity is so high that you'd never build up a static charge outdoors.

I see people in Thailand filling up gas tanks on the beds of their trucks all the time. In the states this is banned due to the danger of a static spark and several instances of this causing a fire. You either have to ground the tank prior to filling using a wire or actually place it on the ground. Though it's still technically a hazard, I'm never all that bothered by the practice in Thailand due to the ridiculously high year round humidity.

[Antifreeze]

I think mobile phones are intrinsically safe, which means there should be no problem using them around hydrocarbon vapors.

The real danger is to start fueling, sit in your car for a second, then go back and touch the fueling hose...the static charge you generate sitting down can arc on the fueling hose. Usually this kind of fire is started by Mothers checking on babies while fueling.

Yes, the real danger is static electricity when grabbing the nozzle. See here… http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/cell-phone-gas-station-minimyth/

[alien365]

By turning off the engine it means no aircon for a few minutes. I tried it today and could hardly breathe by the time they had filled up the tank. The previous time I opened the window and got high off petrol fumes. Surely if it was so dangerous to fuel while the engine was on they wouldn't allow you to open the filler cap while the engine is running.

[PeeJay1959]

By turning off the engine it means no aircon for a few minutes. I tried it today and could hardly breathe by the time they had filled up the tank. The previous time I opened the window and got high off petrol fumes. Surely if it was so dangerous to fuel while the engine was on they wouldn't allow you to open the filler cap while the engine is running.

On my car you can't open te petrol cap until the engine is off.

[Artisi]

By turning off the engine it means no aircon for a few minutes. I tried it today and could hardly breathe by the time they had filled up the tank. The previous time I opened the window and got high off petrol fumes. Surely if it was so dangerous to fuel while the engine was on they wouldn't allow you to open the filler cap while the engine is running.

Have you ever thought of getting out of the car for the amount of time it takes to fill the tank.