Shell Safe - Think Safe Stay Safe

The health and safety standards of Shell service stations are high. Despite this, there are potential risks you should be aware of. Please familiarise yourself with these basic safety rules and procedures, and stay safe when you're visiting Shell.

Your Health and Safety

Handling Fuel

Static Electricity

Impact on the Environment

Think Safe Stay Safe Brochure

When you're on the forecourt - Turn off all ignition sources.

• Dropping a mobile phone or switching it on or off can cause sparks, which may ignite petrol vapours
• Using a mobile phone while refuelling can cause a lapse in concentration.  This could result in the incorrect fuelling of your vehicle, fuel spills and a lack of precaution with driveway traffic

• By law, you and your passengers are required to extinguish your cigarettes, cigars or pipes prior to entering the service station

• By law you are required to extinguish all pilot lights in the ovens of mobile campervans, caravans, food vans and gas refrigerators
• After leaving the service station, ventilate the area to allow any remaining fuel vapours to dissipate prior to re-lighting the pilot light

• By law you must switch off your engine before and during refuelling

• Always get off your motorcycle prior to and during refuelling
• Fuel spilt onto the hot exhaust or engine could cause a fire, injuring you and others
• Remove your helmet before entering a store, as service station staff will feel more comfortable serving you

Please be careful when handling or storing fuel for any purpose:

• Contact with petrol or LPG can burn or irritate skin or eyes and strain or dissolve certain fabrics
• If you clothing is splashed with fuel, saturate the area with water and remove the clothing slowly (to avoid static electricity) as soon as possible - hang out to thoroughly air before washing
• If fuel splashes on your skin, wash with soap and water
• If fuel gets in your eyes, wash out with running water for at least 15 minutes - if pain persists seek medical attention
• Prolonged exposure to vapours can adversely affect health

Filling Containers

For your safety and that of the site staff, please adhere to the following:

• Fill only properly labelled containers, which have been stamped to say they are
  approved to carry flammable liquids. These are available from service stations, hardware or camping stores. Fuel can ‘eat’ or ‘melt’ ordinary plastic and glass is breakable
• By law, filling non-approved or incorrectly labeled containers from dispensing pumps is illegal
• Do not fill containers on the back of a truck deck, trailer, utility, in car boots and so forth
• When filling a portable container, manually control the nozzle valve and fill slowly throughout the process to reduce the chance of static electricity build-up and minimize splattering/spilling
• Shell policy is that we will fill up to 25-litre containers only. The above measures are designed to reduce risks of injury from:
• sparks caused by static electricity build-up
• lifting of heavy containers
• use of non-approved containers

• Always label and store fuel containers in a cool, well ventilated location out of children’s reach

Refuelling Petrol Vehicles

Take care when opening the fuel cap on your petrol vehicle.  Under certain conditions, static discharge from some types of clothing may ignite petrol vapours from your vehicle tank.

Prevention of Static Electricity

• Especially when refuelling the vehicle yourself, discharge static (e.g. by touching metal parts of your vehicle) before lifting the pump nozzle
• DON'T re-enter your vehicle during refuelling - stay outside
• Use ONLY the refuelling latch available on the pump nozzle, and don't leave the nozzle unattended

Understanding Static Electricity

Under dry climatic conditions, static electricity build-up is most likely to occur. Static electricity may build up when you re-enter the vehicle during refuelling. When you then return to the vehicle fill pipe, the static may discharge at the fill point, potentially igniting gasoline vapours and causing a fire.

It is illegal to pour fuel into drains or sumps due to the potential environmental damage and the risk of explosion.  

We are legally obligated to inform Regional Councils, ERMA, the Police and/or the Fire Department and provide them with your vehicle details.  Remember you are personally liable and could be prosecuted with fines up to $200,000 and additional recovery costs.

If you wish to contact us please call the Shell Customer Service Centre: 0800 4 SHELL (0800 474 355).