Fuel safety tips

Whether filling up a tractor, pickup truck or lawnmower, farmers and ranchers handle fuel almost every day. Despite regularly using gasoline and diesel fuel, there are elements of fuel safety that people may not realize.

Dan Harjes, a senior transportation safety specialist with CHS, provide tips to safely store and handle fuel.

Diesel fuel has a flash point of 125 degrees Fahrenheit compared to gasoline at minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, Harjes says. Gas vapors are heavier than air, so they can shroud a vehicle or piece of equipment as it is fueled. Volatile vapors and hot equipment are a potentially dangerous combination.

“If vapors ignite, a vacuum effect occurs and brings the flame right back to the container you are pouring from,” Harjes says. “That can cause an uncontrollable explosion and gas still in the container will ignite and spray all over everything and possibly you.”

Safety tips

Harjes urges fuel users to be mindful of static electricity as a potential danger when handling fuel. He recommends following these safety tips:

• Fill portable fuel containers on the ground, not in a vehicle.
• Keep the fuel nozzle against the container and while you remove it to prevent static electricity buildup

“If you are touching both the container and the nozzle at the same time you are bonding it, which dissipates static. Otherwise, when you break that connection between the nozzle and filling point, a spark could occur and ignite gasoline fumes,” Harjes says.

Safety equipment

Harjes recommends using the following fuel safety equipment:

• Wear PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or similar chemical safety gloves. Gasoline contains the carcinogen benzene, which can be absorbed through the skin.
• Install flame arrestors in gas cans. The screen prevents a flame from entering the container.
• Upgrade fuel hoses to bonding hoses, which have a wire that goes from the tank to the nozzle. When the nozzle touches the container or equipment, it dissipates static electricity.
• If your home is heated with fuel oil, install a whistle on the tank to signal when it’s full to prevent fuel spills.

Safety resources

For more farm safety resources, including fuel handling, Harjes recommends the following resources:

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health – Agricultural Worker Safety and Health
• Rural Health Information Hub
• Purdue University farm safety resources
• Your local cooperative energy team