Most people have seen a fuel can and have even filled one up at the service station, but many do not know how to properly transport that fuel container. The reasons that you might need to transport the fuel could range from getting fuel to your off-road vehicle, filling a lawnmower, or keeping your home generator operating after a storm.
These are 4 safety tips for transporting fuel safely in your vehicle;
1. Keeping the Cap Sealed Tight
Sealing the cap on the fuel container is crucial to transporting a fuel can in your vehicle safely. The thing to remember about gas in a can is that it is highly flammable, it is combustible, and the fumes alone can lead to dizziness, injury, or death. Once you have filled the gas can at the service station, be sure to fully secure the cap on the can before placing it inside your vehicle. Securing the cap will ensure the fuel does not spill in your vehicle.
One thing to look for is if the gas can you are using has a vent hole. The vent hole will have a plastic cap that should be secured before transport because the fumes can can the driver and passengers to get dizzy or nauseous.
2. Carrying the Fuel in the Trunk
One important safety tip when transporting fuel is to keep the full gas can in the trunk of the vehicle. If you are driving a truck, secure the gas can in the bed so that it will be far away from the passengers and driver. The full gas can should never be placed in the passenger areas of the car or truck, for obvious reasons. Fumes will escape from the can, and not only can they be easily ignited by a spark in the vehicle, the fumes are toxic.
If the only way to transport the fuel is inside the vehicle, then travel with the windows open until you reach your destination. This will help to disperse the fumes and to help people in the vehicle from getting sick from breathing in the gasoline.
3. Securing the Fuel Container Properly
The full gas can can easily topple over when the vehicle makes a sharp turn or sudden stop. If the full gas can was simply placed in the trunk or tossed on the floor in the back, it will not take much for the can to roll on its side. If the cap to the container was not tight or the vent hole was left open, fuel will begin seeping out and into the vehicle. By the time you begin to smell that fuel, the floorboards could be soaked with gasoline, creating a life-threatening situation while driving.
The full gas can should not be allowed to move around inside your vehicle. Purchase a bungee cord and run it through the handle and to the vehicle so it stays in the upright position until you arrive to your destination.
4. Limiting the Transport Time
Perhaps you need the gas to power a generator or run a chainsaw, get the fuel and head right home. Don’t stop to fill up the gas can, then put it in the car and travel to the grocery store, pick up the kids at school, or go to your yoga class. Get the fuel and make a trip right home to place the can in your garage or shed. The key to transporting fuel safely is to minimize how long that full container of gas is inside the vehicle.
Not only is the fuel hazardous to your health when in a confined space, it is creating an unnecessary risk that you most certainly want to avoid. There are a number of electronic devices throughout the car that could create a spark in the blink of an eye. If the fumes are ignited, things will go from bad to deadly faster than you could exit the car.
Although it might appear to be something very simple in concept, if you are not carefully transporting the fuel, it could cause serious problems. Keep these 4 safety tips in mind the next time that you need to transport that fuel in your vehicle.
