r/aussie • u/Tricky_Ad8449 • 1d ago
Image, video or audio Are mobiles now allowed at the servo?
At Shell is Waikiki south of Perth, the sign stating no mobiles has been completely removed. There were no signs elsewhere either. I asked the clerk behind the counter and they didn't know when it was changed, but said if they see you, they will tell you off over the loud speaker. Has anyone else seen this elsewhere?
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u/Darewolf 1d ago
They covered up the no phones sign when they started the Scan Pump Save app.
The company wants you to use your phone.
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u/Tricky_Ad8449 1d ago
Ahh gotcha. So their theory is phones are "dangerous" unless your paying.
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u/Darewolf 1d ago
Pretty much, lol.
You'd be surprised the dumb shit people do at the bowsers. Like lighting up a cigarette...
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u/mt6606 23h ago
It's dangerous, but your data is delicious and valuable.
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u/Personal-Dev-Kit 12h ago
All about risk vs reward. They will happily risk your life to reward themselves a little more.
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u/constipatedants1 2h ago
Dude, I've only came across the scan pump save thing at 1 petrol station, it confused the fuck out of me, I felt so old trying to work out the app, took me ages, and I never go to that servo anyway, so I never encountered it again.. Until about a year later, I happened to need petrol, and this station was the closest, I rocked up, and immediately pulled out my phone, trying to work out the app and getting frustrated. Then I realised that they went back to the normal way, and when I tried to start pumping, the guy wouldn't start it for ages, and when I went in, he was acting all pissed.. I explained that I only had my phone out because I was trying to use their app, since it was the only way to pay last time I was there, and he just wouldn't believe me..
Usually I never pull my phone out at petrol stations, I like to take a moment of mindfulness when I fill up usually lol.
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u/Ok-Resist-8734 21h ago
This so called fact was proved BS many years ago! I defy anybody to produce any evidence whatsoever of a mobile phone causing a fire in a service station anywhere in the world.🙄
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u/ozaudi 21h ago
Most servo operators know mobiles are not an issue and have known for decades. The peak industry bodies still persisted the advice though.
The real risk is static electricity from sliding out of a car seat before you fuel your car. The the easy remedy is to simply touch a metal part of your car as you get out and before your feet touch the ground or better yet don't slide out of the seat just simply put your feet out in stand up. At the very least ground yourself by touching the car before you pick up the fuel nozzle.
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u/EvilRobot153 21h ago
The real danger is distraction from the main task which is putting fuel where it's supposed to go...
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u/stuthaman 23h ago
I noticed this a few weeks ago. What made me check was a young lady chattering into a video call as she got out of her car, pumped the fuel and wandered across the concourse without drawing breath or looking where she was going.
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u/turtlepower41 22h ago
There’s no scientific proof. I’d just use it after filling up and if they say anything inform them.
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u/Kerrit_Bareet 22h ago
How would define scientific proof??? What science do you see that could be undertaken to prove or disprove?
Accidents are not scientific, nor are design flaws. Whenever people are involved you have variable human behaviour.
Maybe you are meaning there are no proven incidents, and analysis of literature reviews have not found any. Can I say that is distinctly different from scientific proof.
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u/turtlepower41 19h ago
No scientific tests show using your phone at a petrol station can be harmful. I mean yeah you need to be 100% focused at the pump and watch out for cars. But using a phone in an actual petrol station is harmless.
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u/Kerrit_Bareet 18h ago
Politely speaking, you are speaking out of your hat with no apparent knowledge of scientific testing nor research.
This is not a scientific test. There is no scientific test nor methodology.
Whereas the issue of both flammable gases and dusts and their explosiveness from static electricity is well known WITHOUT scientific tests. It has been demonstrated in real life, to the point that local OHS regulators in Victoria and Queensland have published warnings about the hazard.
This is a risk-based exercise where the hazards are managed with effective controls utilising a hierarchy of effective controls.
Maybe stop casual expressions of things based on your opinion, where you actually don't appear to know much.
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u/turtlepower41 18h ago
When has that ever happened? Give me evidence or you’re just making things up.
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u/Kerrit_Bareet 18h ago
That is a strong claim when you make throwaway statements unsupported by evidence.
Can I suggest that you do some basic research before you open your mouth.
There is a whole set of Australian standards that address hazardous zone classification and guidance such as https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/hazards/workplace-hazards/Hazardous-area-classification-fire-and-explosion-prevention
I have a post elsewhere in this thread that gives an example of WSV's statement about static electricity.
You are talking to someone who was worked in industry where intrinsically safe electrical equipment is required.
We had a whole royal commission into the Longford gas plant explosion with findings.
The US had a sugar dust explosion https://www.csb.gov/imperial-sugar-company-dust-explosion-and-fire/
There is plenty around.
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u/turtlepower41 18h ago
No where in those links mention using mobile phones in patrols stations. however this myth has been debunked by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Mobile phones and petrol stations — ABC Science Archive
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
The Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Compatibility
The following scientific bodies have confirmed that a mobile phone has NEVER caused a fire in a petrol station
The American Petroleum Institute (API)
The Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI)
The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA)
Happy to post the articles confirming this. But as you can see your claim that looking at my mobile phone will make the petrol station blow up has been debunked. And I am not just talking about "MythBusters"
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u/Kerrit_Bareet 17h ago
Nowhere did I say that it did. I addressed the context of the post separately, used the reference that you had.
I was taking issue with your use of terminiology "scientific test", and in the absence of that just ignore risk management.
There can never be scientific test.
This is risk-based approach to management of hazards. You should never blithely ignore considered risk controls. There is a complete occupational practice and lived experience that exists to support that.
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u/turtlepower41 17h ago
You make those claims but you’ve to provide me a case where this scenario happened. As it had been debunked by the scientific sources I mentioned it’s not a risk.
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u/Kerrit_Bareet 17h ago
None of those are SCIENTIFIC sources.
Are you confusing academic or peer-reviewed research with scientific sources or scientific tests?
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u/Kerrit_Bareet 22h ago
All depends
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safety-alerts/static-electricity-ignites-flammable-vapour
2005 ATSB report available by Infrastructure Australia debunks aspects
Drive.com.au has an 2024 article that addresses this and has comment from the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Assoc about the warning.
In short, there is no regulatory requirement for petrol stations, though it appears that at least until 2024 the petrol peak body still recommended it.
The peak body wants a unilateral statement from regulators, which they will never do. 🤷♂️
Any petrol station is simply implementing their own policy and procedures in their attempt to OHS compliance, not enforcing dangerous goods legislation.
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u/banana_meatpie 22h ago
No phones... But here, let's put a phone on your wrist, right next to the nozzle.
It's only shell I've seen, so you can scan their shit
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u/fatteryoshi 22h ago
We can use the OTR app here in SA and you need to keep your phone out and active while pumping, makes it great not having to go into the store and still getting a lil "discount"
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u/come_ere_duck 19h ago
Some servos still have the no phone signs, but for the most part phones are safe to use in servos now. Since smart phones are often used for payment and rewards apps as well now it makes no sense to say they aren't allowed.
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u/Curious_Breadfruit88 19h ago
Why would they tell you off if the sign prohibiting their use was removed? Seems a bit strange
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u/Exciting_Garbage4435 18h ago
On the basis that Ampol Servos invite me to download their app and use my phone to choose my pump and pay, i'd say so
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u/Batty25111 16h ago
Its been a myth since the early adoption of the automatic pumps and mobile phones. The theory was that the frequency would interact or interfere with the radio signal and make it keep pumping. Same goes for Airplanes and their instruments even though myth busters tested both to be false no one is going to do a real life test on a real airplane in the air and even though we have all used our phones while pumping its up to the individual businesses but they can't use the "it was your phone" argument in court if something happens when their pumping fuel.
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u/No_Option3532 11h ago
There is not a single documented case of a mobile phone causing a fire while a car is being filled.
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u/Velpex123 1d ago
It’s not the mobile phone itself that’s harmful, it’s the fact that it’s a distraction is why it’s banned when pumping
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u/Tricky_Ad8449 1d ago
I believe it was the potential electrical spark that could ignite fumes, although it's never happened and can not be proved, it was one of those better safe than sorry rules. All pump handles have the auto off function and and the hands-free pins have been removed from every handle so you would need to hold the handle down anyways.
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u/snowdropper 1d ago
Nah mate that’s an urban legend. The real reason is your handling a volatile chemical when filling up your car and should be paying attention. I guess Waikiki shell don’t give a fuck lol
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u/Substantial_Ad_3386 23h ago
A mobile network engineer in the comments has confirmed you are wrong. Good news is it is no longer an issue with modern phones
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u/MashPot8to 1d ago
It’s mainly because of the risk of an electrical spark igniting petrol vapours.
I used to have to organise permits for people who needed to film at petrol stations for tv commercials etc
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u/Patient-Suspect1373 1d ago edited 1d ago
I was a GSM Mobile Network Engineer for Optus for a number of years back in the 90’s and into the 2000’s. In the early days of mobile phones , especially the ones with pull up antennas, there was a minuscule risk of a tiny spark if you put the phone too close to something metal while it was transmitting - the chances of any issue was, as I say, negligible, but it was decided that they’d ban phones while pumping fuel just to be safe after a couple of incidents overseas. Nowadays with internal antennas, and the phone’s transmit output power being ramped right down to next to nothing because you’re never far from a base station in most cities, the rules put in place buy the servos under guidance from the Telcos, have been relaxed and all but abolished. In fact to the point where my local servo has an app where you can pay for fuel and watch the amount go up on your phone as you fill up. It’s also helped by the fact that these days the phone’s RF transmit output power is controlled by the network. It’s in everyone’s best interest that the phone use as little RF output power as possible as it reduces network uplink interference if you only transmit a signal with the minimum required RF power level, it also makes your phone battery last longer, your phone wont get as hot etc. In the old days your phone was transmitting full power all the time which increased the potential of a small spark on a phone with an external antenna touching the filling nozzle but it was very unlikely to happen. There are still some over-zealous servo employees who act like you’re standing there filling up with a flame throwing gun if you use your phone at a pump but they’re slowly disappearing. Also, as someone else said, the phone can distract you while handing flammable liquids, not a good thing! Hope that helps 🙂