This is another hotly debated topic among my tight-knit group of fellow safety and fire protection engineers and Lord knows we have plenty of photographic and video evidence that there seems to be a large segment of the population who need help with Dispensing Fuel into Portable Containers. Hence the government has a code that covers this activity, which many are obviously not aware of or choose not to follow. My position is that people do not read the dozen of so warning stickers on fuel pumps as it is either “information overload” or just laziness, but a lot of these code requirements are posted at the pump. How many do you personally break, how many did you not even know were prohibited, and how many can you explain as to why it is prohibited?
Approved containers
State Fire Code (SFC) Section 2304.4 allows gasoline and diesel fuel to be dispensed into portable containers if:
- The containers are listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory for fuels.
- The containers are 6 gallons or less in size
- The containers are red for gasoline, yellow for diesel
- The containers are located on the ground next to the dispenser while being filled.
- The nozzle dispensing fuel into the approved container is manually held open.
- Portable containers may not be filled in the trunk of a vehicle, bed of a truck, or the passenger compartment of a vehicle.
Examples of UNAPPROVED containers
- 55-gallon metal drums
- Any portable container over 6 gallons in size
- Unlisted containers such as glass jars, plastic milk jugs, etc.(no label –UL, FM, etc.).
Fuel dispensing facility requirements
- Signs at dispensers per SFC Section 2304.3.5 and 2305.6.
- Attended self-service dispensing facilities require one attendant on duty to:
- Supervise, observe and control dispensing of fuel.
- Stop the dispensing of fuel into unapproved containers.
- Control sources of ignition (smoking, portable electronic devices).
- Stop dispensing when consumer is not next to nozzle.
- Address spills and ready to use fire extinguishers.
- Unattended self-service dispensing facilities with no attendant on duty (facility closed except dispensing)must have:
- Signs at dispensers as stated above in plain sight (line of sight less than 6 feet).
- An emergency shut off and two-way communication device (telephone or call box).
- Dispensers set to limit dispensing to 25 gallons requiring manual action to resume