KEY POINTS:
If you're a woman, beware the petrol pump.
And if you're wearing clothing made from synthetic fibres, think twice about getting into your car when you're part way through refuelling.
You could start a fire on the forecourt.
The oil industry wants to raise awareness of safety issues and Shell has issued a public notice warning of the dangers when filling up the car.
The company says self-service at the petrol pump is becoming the norm, and people should be aware of potential problems.
It cited 150 overseas cases in which static electricity caused fires while vehicles were being refilled.
"Of the 150 cases, more happened to women than men, because of their habit of getting in and out of the vehicle while the petrol is being poured in," Shell said.
A static discharge can be caused when a passenger rubs his or her clothing against the upholstery of the seats when getting into or out of the vehicle.
"It is the vapour that comes from the petrol that burns, and it causes the fire when it makes contact with static electricity.
"In 29 cases analysed, the people re-entered their vehicles and later touched the pistols [of the petrol pump] during the petrol fuelling process. This happened in cars of different varieties of makes and models," Shell's notice said.
"Seventeen fires occurred during, before or immediately after the cap of the petrol tank was removed.
"Movement in or out of a vehicle should be done only before starting [to pump fuel] or when the fuelling is finished and the petrol cap replaced."
The danger is heightened if petrol spills on to the ground, Shell says.
"Highly inflammable vapours are produced which can be ignited by sparks of static electricity from the turning on of electronic equipment (mobile phones, remote controls, etc) or by the ignition of the vehicle."
The majority of people involved in petrol pump fires caused by static electricity were wearing rubber-soled footwear and clothes made of synthetic fibres.
Shell's spokeswoman in New Zealand, Jackie Maitland, said she knew of no static electricity fires in New Zealand.
"This is an industry-wide issue and it's very commonly known," she said.
"Women are more likely to get back into their cars while filling up than men. But equally, sometimes women wear more synthetic clothing than men.
"The Motor Trade Association wanted to highlight this and we provided them with global information."
