I recently was handling a plastic gasoline can, and when I grasped the handle, I felt the hairs on my fingers stand up from static electricity. Then it occured to me, isn’t this potentially dangerous? If one grasped the handle of a plastic gas can and the static caused a spark, we’re talking fourth of July fireworks, are we not? Mind you, this is an “approved” gasoline container.
Yep. Put your container on the ground before you put gas in it. There have been a number of “incidents” here in California of folks filling up their gas cans while said cans were in the beds of their pickup trucks–WHOOSH!
It may not happen everytime, but err on the side of caution.
Your concern is legitimate, but used properly the plastic container is not a problem in itself. What can be a problem is filling a container, metal or plastic, that’s in a pickup bed with a plastic liner. Putting the plastic container on the ground before touching the nozzle to it will bring it to the same potential and reduce chance of a spark.
Interesting side note I’ve heard that certain models of Michelin tires are far less conductive than normal. It causese people to get zapped when opening a door. I’ve never heard of a problem at fuel pumps associated with this.
Jamshid stated it better. Always put the container on the ground plastic bedliner or not.
My container WAS on the ground (concrete), when I felt the static.
Must have been that damned cell phone. Woowee, if that sucker had gone off…
Always try to fill your gas cans when live high-tension wires are not touching the ground nearby.